things to do with eggshells

Not only do the chickens give us food in oh so many forms,

but they also give to the dogs and to the gardens.

 

Those girls are the gift that just keeps on giving!

 

(except when they're only giving 1 or 2 eggs a day, which is a story for another post!)

 

Why let a good eggshell go to waste?

We save the shells after we've used our eggs. 

 

Keep them in a bucket until there's enough to fill a baking sheet or two.

 

Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake them at 250 degrees F.

You can bake them for 5 minutes or 15 minutes - there's really no set rule here. 

The longer you bake them, however, there will be an interesting odor.

Not bad, in my opinion.  But not exactly pleasant, either. 

 

Let them cool.

 

Then comes the really fun part.



 



 

Put them into a sturdy bag.  

Feel free to crush them in your hands a bit

as you're transferring them from baking sheet to bag. 

 

You might want to double bag.

 

You can pound or roll them with a rolling pin.

I like to pound for a bit, then roll.

 

Some people don't bother with this step,

and just put all of their eggshells into a blender or food processor,

and grind away.

 

We didn't care for that method.

It created a TON of dust.

Probably not great for us to inhale.

And it also wasn't great on the motor of our food processor.

 

So, for us,

the pound and roll method

it shall be.

 

 

 

Then simply fill up your favorite storage vessel with your shell bits.

Voila!

You have oodles of calcium in a jar. 

 

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Add a teaspoon to your dog's food,

and you'll give them a nice little calcium boost.

 

Plus, our dogs just like to eat them. 

Why wouldn't a dog like egg shells?

They like eggs.

They like bones.

They like all of that good stuff.

They don't seem to mind that it's not fully pulverized into powder.

They're not fussy like that.

 

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And if you want to feed your GARDEN, here are:

Five Ways to Use Eggshells in Your Garden
(by Colleen Vanderlinden on TLC Home / Planet Green)

1. Add crushed eggshells to the bottom of planting holes, especially for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. These crops are susceptible to blossom end rot, which is caused by calcium deficiency. While this deficiency is most often caused by improper watering, there's no harm in making sure your plants have a steady source of calcium. As the eggshells break down, they'l nourish the soil, and your plants.

2. Use eggshells as pots for starting plants from seed.  Then plant the seedling, "pot" and all, into the garden.

3. Use crushed eggshells to deter slugs, snails, and cutworms. These garden pests are a real pain in the gardener's neck, and cutworms are the worst, killing seedlings by severing the stems at soil level. All three of these pests have soft undersides, and dislike slithering across anything sharp. Crushed eggshells, applied to the soil's surface, may help deter these pests.

4. Add them to the compost pile. If you aren't planting tomatoes or trying to deter slugs, add the eggshells to your compost pile, where they'll add calcium to your finished compost.

5. If you are feeding birds in your yard, crush up the eggshells and add them to a dish near the feeder. Female birds, particularly those who are getting ready to lay eggs or recently finished laying, require extra calcium and will definitely appreciate it!