Question...shrimp shells

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Okay chicken people out there...can chickens eat the shells from the shrimp?..You know, with the tails still on the ends? Or is it a mechanical issue.....they can't grind the shells in their chicken things...? (dumb city girl here)...oh yeah...gizzards.

 

[gryeyes]

Yes, they can, and they can.

 

[Chef]

Well I would have to say they would be fine eating the shrimp shells. The birds eat small rocks that will grind up pretty much anything they eat. I would think that the "raw" shrimp shells would actually be pretty healthy for them but I'm not certain. If they are cooked they may not have any sort of nourishment left in them but I'm sure the chickens will still eat them. I imagine there are others on here who have tried this so lets see what they say.


Chef

 

[Ridgerunner]

I learned something recently on this forum. Bivalves, like oysters and clams, have shells made mostly of calcium. But animals with exoskeletons, like shrimp, have shells made of chitin, which is mostly protein, not calcium. So, yes, those shrimp shells will be a good protein source. If they have access to grit, they can grind them in their gizzard.

One word of warning. Chickens do not handle large quantities of salt real well. Spices and such are fine, but if they are salty, you probably should rinse them off to get rid of the salt first.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Kewl peoples..thank you so much for your insight !! I just boil them in straight cold water...absolutely nothing added. Fiance has allergies to certain things, surprisingly not shellfish...so I watch how I cook anyways. He can't eat garlic in any form.
Anyway, back to the shrimp and chickens....I just hated to see the shells go to waste, if the chickens could enjoy them as a treat. I usually just put the shells in the compost piles, but now we have chickens.

:cd


I already poured the cooled cooking water on my plants. Gawd we need some rain here

 

[hennyannie]

Darn, I just throwed perfectly good protein in the trash yesterday!
Learn something new everyday!

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Don't ya hate when that happens? I am always on the lookout for new ways to use common things I "might" toss out.

 

[hennyannie]

I do have them a few over ripe watermelons that were headed to the dump!

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Oh Nooo!!...Chickens love watermelons!!.... I wish I had some to feed mine. All I have is one the size of a baseball right now....trying really hard to grwo big before it gets cold.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Hennie...do you not make a compost pile? I love mine. They are quite fun and educational, and my gardens thank me when I put the compost on them.