Feeding chickens hard boiled eggs

[Dashy]

I have recently bought my first chooks. I've been told they love to eat hard boiled eggs. Is it wrong to give them eggs they've laid themselves? And can they have some every day or is it too fattening? Thanks.

[di]

You can(or at least I sometimes do),but do you really want to be using up all their little gifts to you by feeding them back to them???
I've read some advice that says if they've been poorly it can act as a pick me up and indeed the shells are very good for them to keep their calcium levels up...I rinse mine & bake in the oven for a while until they go brittle & then grind them down.
Also if we've had egg fried rice or similar,they might get the leftovers.
I'd not make it a daily thing,but once in a while it's fine....some chooks will actually peck at their own eggs and eat them,so I assume it doesn't matter that it's their own egg.
Plus...remember that once an eggs been cooked it will start to go off,so I use the same measures as I would for us...if it's not going to be eaten straight away store in the fridge to stop it from spoiling.

[RichmondHens]

It's fine to feed them COOKED egg, but not raw, as this may encourage them to eat their own freshly laid ones, and then you would never have any for yourselves. But, as Di says, why do you want to do this? Surely you are keeping chooks (at least in part) for their eggs, so I'm confused as to why you wish to feed them back to the hens.

[Eco-Chic]

The lady I bought my chooks from suggested using up older eggs by making a little scrambled egg as an occasional treat for the chooks. My dogs love scrambled egg too.

[MaureenHall]

My eggs never get chance to get "old" I don't think I've had any that's more than 3 days old for ages! Got my "regulars" who clean me out every weekend and I bake during the week. If any of the eggs are really thin-shelled and too fragile (in my opinion) to store, then I do occasionally scramble them and mix in with late afternoon treats

[Dashy]

Thanks very much for your feedback. You're right too, I'd rather eat the eggs myself and the funny thing is after 1 week of owning chickens and 2 eggs laid, I had to go and buy them some free range eggs. I will definately make it a treat once in a while.

[Eco-Chic]

You went and bought eggs for your chooks

Please tell me you don't keep pigs as well

[Dashy]

No pigs. New to this so just followed the lady's advice.

[Eco-Chic]

Sorry, I was just teasing. I had a mental image of you feeding sausage and bacon to the pigs.

I'm new to this as well, only 4 weeks. Loving it though (apart from naughty Maud pecking me rather spitefully tonight).

[Bephlam]

I only give my chooks egg if they are off colour - I give them scrambled or hard boiled eggs! It works a treat, but I wouldn't be giving them it as a matter of course.

I also give them any left over egg mayo and stuff...

[Dashy]

No worries at all eco-chic, I'm slightly frazzled with one poor hen with a sore wing that I clipped a bit too high. Unfortunately I was given her to take home and clip for my first time unsupervised. Maybe that's why I've been told to feed them eggs. She's looking really perky now though and quite the bossy little hen!! It is so much fun watching them go about their business.

[lettucegrow!]

Hi dashy, just noticed where you're from- the vine gets bigger and bigger! Welcome from soggy Stevenage ,Hertfordshire. It just seems wrong to feed hens their own eggs but as they seem to be walking dustbins I'm sure they'd love 'em. I'm with Maureen, my eggs never get older than a week. Someone will buy them or they're made into lemon curd or a yummy fry up!!

[Dashy]

Thank you very much, it's quite wet here too and the poor hens got caught in the hail!
I have 3 indian game hens coming this weekend so I'm hoping for a few more eggs for me and a few less for them..