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When you crack an egg, what do you do with the shell? If you’re like most people, you likely throw it out without another thought. But your chickens worked hard to make those shells, so take advantage of it! Eggshells have a variety of uses that can help your chickens and yourself. Here are some of our favorite ways to use up eggshells:
Feed them to your chickens
Chickens use up a lot of calcium making an egg. As such, ensuring they have a calcium-rich diet is crucial. One way you can do this is by feeding them eggshells. Simply crush them up and sprinkle them in your chickens’ feed to add a little more calcium to their diet.
Add them to your garden
Just as the calcium in eggshells can help your chickens, it can also help your plants. Crush up your eggshells and sprinkle them into each hole before planting to help seeds grow. You can also sprinkle eggshells around your garden to deter cats, deer, slugs, snails, and cutworms.
Give them to your dog
Dogs can also benefit from a little extra calcium in their diet! If you’ve got some eggshells leftover after giving them to your chickens, sprinkle some into your dog’s food as well. Just make sure you get your vet’s permission first and that the eggshells are crushed into a fine powder.
Mix them with your morning coffee
We don’t mean sprinkling eggshells into your already-made cup o’ joe. Instead, add your eggshells to your coffee filter, mixed in with the coffee grounds. This will help your coffee taste less bitter.
Use them to clean household items
Mix crushed eggshells with a little soapy water to scour thermoses, vases, pots, and pans. This will help get rid of hard-to-clean dirt without scratching your items.
Put them in your compost pile
We said before that eggshells can help your plants grow by mixing them with the seeds. You can also add them to the compost pile to boost the calcium in your soil overall.
Use them to clean your drains
Eggshells can act as a natural drain cleaner. Crush a few eggshells and place them in your kitchen sink strainer. By doing so, the eggshells will trap additional solids. Once they break down, they’ll help clean your pipes on their way out.
Put them in your blender
The blades of your blender can dull eventually. To sharpen them, freeze your eggshells and then place them in the blender mixed with water. Blend the mixture for a time and then once you’re done, you can add the mixture to your compost pile (see above).
Feed them to wild birds
Your chickens aren’t the only birds that will love eggshells. Wild birds can benefit from them too! If you have a bird feeder for wild birds, think about mixing your eggshells with the feed. Just make sure you’ve sterilized them beforehand by baking them and then crushing them.
Use them as a calcium supplement
If you’re trying to boost your calcium intake, you can do so by adding eggshells to your diet. Bake them at 350 degrees for 8 minutes and then grind them into a fine powder. You can then add this powder (usually just a teaspoon will do) to juice, smoothies, and other drinks.
Do you have your own uses for eggshells? Share your ideas in the comments below!
