What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Lisa]

My neighbour says he is going to bake egg shells rather than use grit for his ex batt chickens when they arrive. I have saved the egg shells from the family breakfast this morning and thought I'd try this but how long do you bake them for and at what temperature:?:

 

I do have hen grit and oyster shells ready for my girls arrival on Friday but I wondered if baked egg shells were better:?: Has anyone tried this and what do you think:?:

 

Thanks

[Guest]

I have a metal bowl that I keep in the bottom of the oven and I put the egg shells into that as I have them. Then they get baked along with whatever is in the oven at the time! When I am in a shell-crushing mood I just get the bowl out and bash 'em to pieces.

No idea if this is right though!

[keyhole kate]

I also buy grit but also roast all my eggshells in the oven when I am cooking something else

temperature isen't important I just bake until insides go brown all you are doing is making them dry out and crunchy so you can crumble them up in your hand the chooks love them

 

I was shown how to do this as a child when I stayed all summer on a relatives farm

 

Kitty

[Lisa]

Thanks

 

I was hoping that I could do this whilst cooking other things in the oven. I assume I should wash them out before baking them

[Scramble]

Wow! I've never heard to do that before!

At least I can save expenses on ordering Omlet grit.

[keyhole kate]

I dont wash mine the heat will kill off anything nasty I would have thought mine actually prefer the baked shell to the bought grit but thats my lot for you

 

Kitty

[debbie26pet]

i do mine in the microwave for 5-8 mins, depends on how many shells i have

[Hen Watch]

Hi Lisa,

Sorry been working all Bank Holiday weekend and only just replied to your PM.

 

I bake shells for 3/4 mins on very high just to kill off any germs thats all. Then crush in your hand and add to the grit pot. My girls love it.

[Egg Lou]

I have a metal bowl that I keep in the bottom of the oven and I put the egg shells into that as I have them. Then they get baked along with whatever is in the oven at the time! When I am in a shell-crushing mood I just get the bowl out and bash 'em to pieces.

No idea if this is right though!

 

 

I do exactly the same! but do wash them first to reduce pong!

[AmandaR]

I too just pop them in the oven and bake when I next have the oven on. My girls do prefer them to oyster shell grit. I then add them to their treat bowl as I found they sink to the bottom of the grubs.

 

I do exactly the same! but do wash them first to reduce pong!

 

Have to agree. I can't stand the smell of unwashed egg shells baking

 

I have now learnt to just crush them by hand. I used to grind them up in my lovely marble pestle and mortar...but they ended up really badly scratching it all up hey ho, live and learn.

[Egluntyne]

Wow! I've never heard to do that before!

At least I can save expenses on ordering Omlet grit.

 

 

They need grit too!

 

You can buy it much more cheaply at an agricultural merchant's or similar.

[Angels4]

When I am in a shell-crushing mood I just get the bowl out and bash 'em to pieces.

Let me guess, the mood stikes when your OH is being annoying.

[Guest]

they absolutely NEED grit in addition to any calcium supplement like oyster shell or crushed eggs shells.

 

I rinse them under the tap then I pop them in the oven when I've been using it and switch it off, they just bake in the cooling oven.

 

Then I put them in a mixing bowl and crush them with the end of a rolling pin until they're almost powder. I worry about the very sharp edges on big bits of shell so I crush them as fine as I can as the edges of large pieces are very sharp!

[Mutrix Farmers]

Like everyone else I wash out the shells and when I've got the oven on just put them on a baking tray. I then smash them to smithereens in the mortar and pestle (but not a marble one). Good source of soluble calcium, not a grit replacement.