  hickens need calcium to be healthy and to produce eggs with strong shells. To find the best source of calcium, you needn't look farther than your coop. A common sign that your laying hen has a calcium deficiency is thin eggshells, or eggs with gummy or nonexistent shells. This is not a pleasant thing to find in the nesting box or to try and carry into the house. Sometimes a young hen my lay shell-less eggs when they are first practicing, but if your mature layers start to do this, you may want to add some calcium to their diet. I am a big believer in the phrase, “Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without.” I try to find natural, cost-efficient ways to deal with everyday problems on the homestead. I found the simplest way to add calcium is to give the chicken their own eggs. According to Healthline, Eggshells are 40% calcium, and half a shell can provide up to 1,000mg of calcium. The trick to feeding chickens eggs is to make it unrecognizable as an egg. That way, they will not start eating their own eggs, leaving you with nothing to make for breakfast! Here is what I do. HOW TO FEED CHICKENS EGGS First, make up a batch of scrambled eggs with no salt or butter. I give those right to the chickens along with the table scraps we dump in the run every morning. This add to their basic health and protein. As you crack eggs, place the shells on a foil-lined cookie sheet and pop them in the oven at 350* for 30 min or so. The high temperature will dry them out, kill any salmonella, and make them easy to grind.  I then grind the shells to bits. I use a mortar and pestle. And I save this chore until I’m very frustrated. Pulverizing eggs, and the crunching sound they make is very satisfying and stress relieving. I then sprinkle the powder on the chicken’s food. Eggshells are also useful for keeping slugs and snails away from the plants in your garden. Just sprinkle a ring around the plant, and the slimy critters cant slide over it without getting injured.
Good Luck! References: Arnarson, A. (2017, November 17). The Benefits and Risks of Eating Eggshells. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eggshells-benefits-and-risks Comments are closed.
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Author"I've been thinking..." is my husbands least favorite phrase. Every time he hears it he know there will be lots of work, money, and time involved. My name is Anne. I'm not an author or grand storyteller but I do get most of my homestead information from others. So, I thought I would pass on my experiences and ideas. I hope they give you information and ideas to help you get thinking. Archives
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