Q&A for How to Feed Eggshells to Chickens

You're baking the shells to dry them out, not kill pathogens. It's important to fully dry the eggshells so that you can break them up into a fine powder, which is safer for the chickens. Boiling the eggshells doesn't work because the membrane will still be intact, which makes it hard to crush the egg into small enough pieces. You don't have to bake the eggshells before feeding them to your chickens, but you need to break them up into very tiny pieces. Keep in mind that your chickens may start eating the eggs they lay if they get used to eating big pieces of shell.

When chickens get a taste of raw eggs, they develop a habit of eating their own eggs due to the fact that they are now familiarized with that distinct taste. Unfortunately, it can be very hard to break this habit, but breaking a bad habit early will be easier. First you need to make sure to clean all of the contents of the broken egg and then observe your chicken to see if she breaks any more eggs.

At a 200-degree oven, they only need to be heated for 10 minutes until the egg shells completely dry out.

This very good for them, as the eggs are a great source of protein. I would recommend mixing it with plain yogurt; they will love you for it.

No, some say it's better to leave the egg shells uncleaned. This is because the eggs attached to the shells will be cooked when they are baked in an oven. The whites of the eggs will provide extra nutrients and protein. You should only clean the shells if you plan on feeding them uncooked.