DIY GARDEN: poultry

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Raising Poultry Using Egg Shells as a Feed Supplement

While there are feed supplements that can be readily purchased from your local feed store, they can increase the cost of raising your chickens. One of the items often lacking in a chicken’s diet is calcium and this can be easily fixed by feeding your chickens crushed egg shells. It is simple to do and can save you a few dollars. It will also solve the problem of eggs with weak shells that break or damage easily.

The first thing you will need to do is thoroughly rinse your egg shells after theyve been cracked to remove any remnants of the egg. Once theyve been rinsed, allow them to dry in a dish or bowl. Once dried, you can crush them by hand into small pieces and mix in with their grain. This will provide your chickens with the calcium they need to give your eggs strong shells.

Many times people worry about their chickens becoming egg eaters. If your chickens are getting the necessary calcium, this should not be a problem. In fact, a lack of calcium in their diet can actually create this problem with your chickens. Like any animal, they will seek out a source of the nutrients they require.

Chickens also have a natural defense mechanism when it comes to their eggs. They will instinctively protect their eggs from possible predators by eating cracked or damaged eggs in the nest. Cracked or damaged eggs are easily honed in on by predators and could result in the loss of all the eggs in the nest. To avoid this problem, it is a good practice to pick your eggs at least twice a day. This way you will be able to remove any weak or damaged eggs as quickly as possible.

Got egg shells?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Raising Poultry Using Egg Shells as a Feed Supplement

The Advantages of Raising Poultry Hunting Eggs

Empty Nest

One of the advantages of raising poultry is you don’t have to wait until Easter to hunt eggs. When your chickens are allowed to free range in the backyard, they don’t always return to the nest to lay their eggs. More often than not they will find an alternate place to lay their eggs and you will have to do a little hunting to find where they are laying their eggs.

Unfortunately, there isn’t an egg detector available to help you find them. Just keep checking the bushes and you’ll probably come across a stray egg or two.

Got eggs?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

The Advantages of Raising Poultry Hunting Eggs