The Poultry Keeper

VM · Joined: 22 May 2008 Posts: 18 Location: Manchester

Have read somewhere that you can give chickens eggshells to eat for their calcium as an alternative to buying oyster shell - but that you need to dry them (or cook them?) first otherwise it may encourage egg-eating.

Does anyone do this? Any views/feedback? I'd like to if it works, rather than buying in more stuff - but if it's not a good idea I'll just go on feeding eggshells to the worms instead.

And is oyster shell different from the grit that they need to aid digestion?

thank you!

CP · Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:40 am Post subject:

I'm sure more than 1 member cooks the shells & feeds them back to the chickens. I think as long as they're well crushed it doesn't encourage egg eating.

They need grit in the gizzard to help digest their food. The oyster shell is for calcium. Wink

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1443 Location: Leicestershire

I just leave mine to dry. . . .

There's a box on the side for all eggshells, occasionally (ie when the box is full and I can't get any more in Very Happy

) I break them up in my hands and then take them to the field. They get oyster shell and grit as well.

Itsybitsy

VM · Joined: 22 May 2008 Posts: 18 Location: Manchester

Thank you very much - that's helpful - think I'm beginning to get things straight!

Hopefully collecting first chickens on Thursday!

debbie26pet · Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 121 Location: lancs

when weve eaten eggs etc i use the shells i put them in a dish and bob them in the microwave for 5 mins then crush and add to there feed they love it.
i also have a dish of grit in there run as well

mojo · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:21 pm Post subject:

i dont feed my hens shells they may have laid......cannibalism??.........mixed grit is cheap enoough not to............but its a personal thing

crazypianolady · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 766 Location: Nottinghamshire

With you on that one, Mojo. Smile

stephen · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:57 am Post subject:

Most layers pellets already have the calcium in the pellets, so in theory they shouldn't need much extra.

However, it seems they do. We recently had a problem with thin shells and egg eating. That seems to have pretty much gone away since giving them extra oyster shell.