What can you do with those eggshells if there’s another oyster shell shortage or worse? Your Hens need calcium for hard egg shells and strong bodies, so why not feed their eggshells back to them?

According to Dr Axe and Healthline, eggshells are very beneficial for people as well as chickens if processed correctly. Plus, they have a lot of health benefits and a host of other uses.

Today, we’ll talk about how to process eggshells for your hens.

Make sure your eggshells are clean

Before initially opening the egg, make sure there’s no dirt or feces on the egg. The bloom should also be cleaned off to make sure there’s no bacteria. After opening the egg, rinse the eggshell well to remove egg white and air dry them. When your ready, load them on a cookie sheet and cook them in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for fifteen minutes. There are differing opinions on time and temperature but this is what I do. Let the eggshells cool.

Put the eggshells in a jar or mortar and pestle to crush

I use a jar and mortar or you could use a mortar and pestle. I find I can get more eggshells in a jar. I usually have a lot of egg shells to crush so this saves me time. I don’t used a food processor or coffee grinder because it makes it too powdery and the pieces come out uneven. I’ve found it works best for me to crush the eggshells by hand.

Crush the eggshells into bite sized pieces for your hens

I have two jars, one for crushing eggshells and the other for filling with crushed eggshells.

I just keep adding crushed eggshells over time until I have a full jar. If I have a lot of eggshells, I’ll seal the jars and store them until I’m ready to use them.

Are you ready to give this a try?

You can’t go wrong with eggshells. They’re one of nature’s super foods. If cleaned well and cooked, they contain a lot of nutrients and calcium. They’re also very easy to process and store. For people who prep for hard times, they’re part of what keeps a flock healthy and laying eggs.