Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[docsquid]

Having read on this forum that it isn't a good idea to let chickens eat their own eggshells without roasting and crushing them first, I was a bit worried today. I emptied the compost bin from the kitchen onto the heap. It had some eggshells in it from cooking I'd done earlier in the day. Unfortunately I'd forgotten to bring a spade to bury them as I usually do. Even more unfortunately by the time I'd got the spade from the shed, Megan had got onto the compost heap, carried one off and was attempting (not very successfully) to eat it. She actually didn't eat it all, just a little bit of the shell. The other two weren't interested, although Gwennie seems to like tea bags

 

I'm a bit worried that she's now got the taste and will turn into an egg-eater. I am usually so careful, just forgot the spade on this occasion. Do they only need to taste eggs once or is it OK provided I carefully bury the eggshells in future? Or should I put eggshells in the bin just in case?

 

I can't really rope off the compost heaps as they are terraced on a slope and easy for the chickens to get on.

[Chicken Shirl]

I wash any egg shells dry them and crush them very fine and feed them to the hens, they are good calcium for them. I shouldn't think she will turn into an egg eater Docsquid, don't worry.

[docsquid]

Thank you, that is a relief. She is acting normally today (well if you can ever count Megan's behaviour as normal - she is a rather frantic chicken!), and hasn't shown any interest in the compost heap. I'm putting eggshells in the bin now!

[Chicken Shirl]

That's good. They are funny little things sometimes. Seriously though Docsquid you can feed them their own shells. Honestly.