Feeding chickens egg shells

[Tracey]

Hi there

I'm new to chicken keeping and wonder how others feed crushed egg shells back to their chickens?

Kind regards
Tracey

[kirsty b]

bake them in the oven for a bit, crush them and then mix them into the mash or scatter them for the hens to peck and scratch at

[Tracey]

Thanks Kirsty,

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is mash?

Kind regards

Tracey

[Two_Sheds]

It sounds a bit gross, but birds apparently like a nice boiled egg, shell and all. It replaces some of the calcium they lose when laying

[Jardiniere]

i thought feeding hens chicken shells encouraged canibalism... (eating of own eggs)????

[kirsty b]

Eating of own eggs isn't ideal, but if I ever drop one by accident, I just let then hens eat it.

Tracey, I meant the layers mash my girls eat. Fussy buggers don't like pellets! It gives them calcium, good for making nice hard shells on eggs yet to be laid.
I also periodically scatter flint and oyster shell grit for them to scratch up. Good for digestion (flint) and calcium source (oyster)

[daisychook]

i thought feeding hens chicken shells encouraged canibalism... (eating of own eggs)????

Hi there,

My husband is of that opinion too, so hides the crushed shells in yoghurt or mash!!! I dont think it encourages cannibalism, but would stand corrected by a grape expert (!) ..... We did have a Welsummer who was an egg eater. Its a nightmare, (she also picked on my Marge mercilessly and we rehomed her in Cheshire on a farm - we even got sent pictures!!!)but this time we have had no problems, and they do have the eggshells.

[Two_Sheds]

I wonder if ... hens eat their own eggs because they are deficient in calcium? Therefore, if they are given more calcium, they should stop cannibalising? Or is that nonsense?

[Tracey]

Producing >350 eggs a year will deplete the calcium levels of the chickens greatly. Anyway to replenish the calcium is beneficial for the chickens and the thickness of their egg shells.

Kind regards

Tracey

[rustylady]

I wonder if ... hens eat their own eggs because they are deficient in calcium? Therefore, if they are given more calcium, they should stop cannibalising? Or is that nonsense?

Bit like the strange pregnancy cravings women get, I should think. They reckon you crave what your body needs even if it comes in a strange form. Still don't know what Lime Fanta provides, though (daughter's craving four years ago - specially late at night when everything was shut except the 24 hour garage two miles away). Do chickens like cuttlefish bone? Often given to caged pet birds to replenish calcium. I would think that a balanced chicken feed would provide enough calcium. Oops, just had another thought. We used to collect slugs and snails to feed to the neighbouring chickens. They loved them, and presumably the snail shells (if the chickens break them down and eat them) would provide them with extra calcium.

[Tracey]

W have loads of snails in our garden, so that should provide a good source of calcium for the chickens if they eat the shells.

[yoanbob]

we never did feed them to our chooks, isnt the reason for mad cow disease because they were fed beef carcus waste?
i bake mine and crush and put around plants to discourage slugs

[DJ_Chook]

When feeding chickens their egg shells. Do the egg shells have to be baked? I whiz them up in the blender with some water till it looks like sand and add to some mash or whatever other gloop I am cooking up for them. Are raw shells or partially cooked shells ok?

[Birdie Wife]

I don't think they have to be baked, it just helps make them more brittle when you're breaking them up. When I've got a hen with chicks, I hardboil eggs and put the whole lot through an electric mincer for them.

[Hilary B]

I would tend to bake shells just in case of infection, but it's probably OK not to.