Can Chickens Eat Eggshells?
Chickens can eat their own eggshells — baked dry and crushed, they're a free calcium supplement layers actually need.
The why
Laying hens burn through calcium, and clean crushed shell recycles it. The key is presentation: dried and crushed to unrecognizable bits so hens never connect 'shell' with the eggs under them.
How to feed it
Rinse shells, dry or bake them briefly until brittle, crush to small flakes, and offer free-choice in a separate dish alongside (not instead of) oyster shell.
Worth knowing
Always crush finely — never toss halves into the run — and offer it free-choice rather than mixed into feed so each hen doses herself.
The 90/10 rule: whatever the treat, a laying flock's diet should stay about 90% balanced feed. Treats — even the healthy ones — are the garnish, not the meal. Wondering what your flock really costs to feed? Try our free egg cost calculator.
📄 Free printable: The Chicken Never List
The 15 foods that can hurt your flock, on one page — print it, tape it inside the feed-bin lid.
Keep your whole flock on track
Homestead Paradise tracks your birds, eggs, feed costs, and health records in one place — and Harold, your homestead advisor, reads your records and tells you what he'd do next. Snap a photo of a mystery plant or bug with Harold's Eyes before it ends up in the run.
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