[bastonjock]

Three of my girls are laying one a day,they are Warrens and are providing beautifull eggs,I have solved the problem of them laying all over the place by simply putting some hay in the nest boxes,it appears that they did not like laying on Aubios hemcore.

As we are eating the eggs it has left me wondering weither or not i should crush up the shells and offer them in a small bowl for the girls,is this a bad idea?

[adi]

i was advised to do that when i started and i mix crushed shell with their food they seem to be doing well with it. i bake them in the oven before i crush them just to make sure there are no nasties on them.

[orchardlady]

I personally don't offer egg shells as they get plenty of oyster shell and grit and they also free range, however if you do offer their own shells back to them make sure you smash them up small enough so they are not recognisable as egg shells.

OL

[arugula]

My first thought when I read this question was to say no, mainly due to recognition. OL, you say smash them up really small so that the birds don't recognise them as egg shells, but will they not also recognise them by smell?

[hillfooter]

My first thought when I read this question was to say no, mainly due to recognition. OL, you say smash them up really small so that the birds don't recognise them as egg shells, but will they not also recognise them by smell?

You must bake them in the oven first but don't do this on their own as the cost of the electricity and carbon you will use will far exceed any green savings.  Put them in after the family roast to sterilise them in the residual heat.

Really it's a terrible waste of your time, of less than zero green value and hardly economic as crushed oystershell contains almost 3 times the amount of soluable calcium and its very cheap and abundant.  To get the same amount of calcium by crushing egg shells as in a kilo of oystershell costing less than a pound you'd need to crush around 500 - 600 egg shells (or 7 months + of your hens output) so save your time and spend it enjoying your chickens company instead.

PS don't mix calcium into their feed unless it's needed for a short term medication.  You can overdose them on calcium which isn't a good thing and can lead to kidney disorders.  A compound feed like layers pellets or mash contains ALL the calcium a one year old hen needs just make crushed oystershell available ad lib separately they will take what they need.  Older birds may need a small extra ration of calcium in the form of oystershell to that in their feed but still feed it ad lib.

HF

[joyfull]

I feed mine their egg shells (as Hillfooter will tell you - he thinks it's witchcraft  ) but they also have a dish with oyster shell and they free range to collect their own grit to help digest their food. As free rangers they also get snail shells which help with calcium. So if yours don't free range don't forget to provide grit.

[hillfooter]

I feed mine their egg shells (as Hillfooter will tell you - he thinks it's witchcraft  ) but they also have a dish with oyster shell and they free range to collect their own grit to help digest their food. As free rangers they also get snail shells which help with calcium. So if yours don't free range don't forget to provide grit.

Quite right Joy and I know you really pop yours in with the Sunday roast for that extra crunchy crackling effect
HF

[joyfull]

hello HF I just knew you would just have to post on here 

[hillfooter]

hello HF I just knew you would just have to post on here 

Ha ha ha   You know me better than I know myself.  Happy New Year Joy :happy:
HF

[arugula]

I feed mine their egg shells (as Hillfooter will tell you - he thinks it's witchcraft  ) but they also have a dish with oyster shell and they free range to collect their own grit to help digest their food. As free rangers they also get snail shells which help with calcium. So if yours don't free range don't forget to provide grit.

So Joy, do yours as free rangers not get layers pellets/mash then? My free rangers had pellets available and whatever they fancied finding too. I'm obviously siding with HF here as I can't see why you would need to give additional calcium when the feed has everything in it they need.

[joyfull]

yes they get layers argyllie but they also need extra calcium - even HF feeds his oyster shell which is a source of calcium (and he has admitted on here in the past that he has fed crushed egg shells to his hens too  ) 

[arugula]

Ah I see!

[hillfooter]

Actually I feed mine mixed grit which is insoluable grit and soluable oyster shell and other sea shell.  The insoluable grit is to use in their gizzards for crushing their food and all chx need this but if they free range they can usually find their own.  Soluable grit (oystershell) not only is useful in their gizzards but provides a calcium supplement which older hens might benefit from to give strong egg shells.

Don't believe a word of what Joy says about me crushing eggshells I probably only said it so she doesn't feel so eccentric

HF

[joyfull]

not eccentric (or should that be eggcentric?) just different  Happy New Year HF  :happy:

[hillfooter]

Actually a serious point; if your hens can forage for their needs it's best to encourage them to do so rather than putting everything litterally on a plate.  They stay more active foraging and mentally healthier too rather than develop lazy boredom habits like feather pecking.
HF