too many egg shells?

[Krugerrand]

Is there such a thing as my hens eating too many egg shells? I switched from layer feed to all-flock just before my 2 hens started to molt, as I'm also introducing two more not-yet-laying pullets into the flock. I keep a container of oyster shell available. They don't go to town on it, but it does go down. If I add some shells from hard boiled egg in the calcium container, it disappears instantly. My 2 molting layers have slowed some in their egg laying, but it hasn't stopped.

So, with that in mind, is it possible for them to eat too many egg shells? If so, what would that point be? Should I ration them?

The non-laying pullets are typically in a divided section of the run where the calcium container is not available. But early morning / late evening the entire run is shared.

Thank you!

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

Is there such a thing as my hens eating too many egg shells? I switched from layer feed to all-flock just before my 2 hens started to molt, as I'm also introducing two more not-yet-laying pullets into the flock. I keep a container of oyster shell available. They don't go to town on it, but it does go down. If I add some shells from hard boiled egg in the calcium container, it disappears instantly. My 2 molting layers have slowed some in their egg laying, but it hasn't stopped.

So, with that in mind, is it possible for them to eat too many egg shells? If so, what would that point be? Should I ration them?

The non-laying pullets are typically in a divided section of the run where the calcium container is not available. But early morning / late evening the entire run is shared.

Thank you!

They'll eat as much as they need, it's really hard to overfeed calcium, unless it's being mixed into their food. The eggshells are probably disappearing quicker because they are easier to eat. My chickens definitely prefer eggshells over oyster shell.

 

[EagleEyes]

After I hard boil a dozen eggs and peel them can I crunch the shells up and give them to the chickens without baking or anything

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I agree that it's probably hard to over-feed egg shells. The one thing I'll add is if you're feeding larger "chunks" of egg shells, it's probably best to not put out more than they can eat in a day so as to not attract pests/predators overnight.