feeding birds eggshells?

Question

i went over to my friends house a few days ago and in her kitchen i noticed a bowl filled with pieces of egg shells. i asked her why she had this and she said they feed it to the birds because it makes their eggs stronger. is this true?

Answer 1

Yes. the egg shells provide calcium and other micronutrients, that may not be obtained, or are deficient from their regular diet of eating plant biomass and insects.
Usually it is obtained through supplements available at the feed store, but feeding the eggshells prevent one from having to buy the stuff.

Answer 2

Yes, its true. The egg shells are mostly calcium, and the birds need that to make their egg shells hard.
We used to do the same thing for our chickens. The only thing to watch is that the shells don't have any egg white or yolk on them and that they are crushed up finely, so that the birds don't recognize them as egg parts, or they might see their own eggs as food. Also drying them in an oven (after its been used to cook something else) means there's no chance of passing on some sort of infection to the birds.
You can buy crushed seashells at pet food shops, and that does the same thing for them.

Answer 3

Yes. In Chicken farm they need to give them extra calcium. The feed some times contain ground up bones, oyster shells and egg shells. Chickens lose alot of calcium when they are producing eggs.

Answer 4

It might be.

calcium in = calcium out.
(poop or eggs, take your pick)

I know birds usually require a bit of gravel or something hard and gravelly (like eggshells) for their gizzards. It helps them digest seeds, grains etc. Eggshells might help serve this purpose.

Answer 5

It is true. Chickens have to be fed sea shells to make their eggs.

Answer 6

Yes. The shells are calcium. It is good for the birds.

Answer 7

I have cockatiels and I've never heard of that. We do keep a bowl with some special sand.. it helps them diguest thier food

Answer 8

No, this isn't true. It doesn't do anything good for birds.