The answer to that question is a resounding YES! Eggs are an excellent source of protein and make a great treat for chickens. The egg white contains more than half of the egg’s protein and none of the fat. The yolk contains all of the fat and most of the egg’s vitamins. In fact the egg yolk is one of the few foods which naturally contains vitamin D. Eggs are not fortified with vitamin D as is milk and some brands of yogurt and orange juice. The egg is also considered a complete protein food because it has all of the essential amino acids, and it’s tasty. So, yes, it’s not only o.k. to feed eggs to your chickens, but eggs are a healthy supplement which your birds will thoroughly enjoy!
Some folks are afraid that if they feed eggs to their chickens, it will encourage them to become egg eaters. The key is to NOT feed your birds raw eggs, but disguise them so that they won’t associate the eggs you feed them with that oblong thing they leave in the nesting box each day.
I often have excess eggs. As they begin to get old, rather than waste them, I cook up a bunch and feed them not only to my chickens, but to my dog and ducks as well. The vitamins, and minerals are amazing at helping to eliminate a dog’s dry skin and ducks gobble up eggs about as fast as chickens do! There are several ways to cook up and serve eggs to your chickens. I think that the easiest is just to scramble up a batch, making sure that the egg white and yolk are completely cooked. I don’t add salt, but there is nothing wrong with adding in some fresh or dried herbs, sunflower seeds, fresh garlic, or some vegetables like zucchini and peas. Don’t have any fun additives…no worries, your chickens will be delighted with plain ole scrambled eggs! You can serve the eggs alone, or mix them in with their regular feed or other treats.
Chickens enjoy hard-boiled eggs as well. I usually hard-boil my eggs in my electric pressure cooker. The results are awesome and I can hard-boil a dozen eggs at once. Cooking them in this manner also allows for very easy peeling, no matter how fresh your eggs are. http://(https://theheartyhenhouse.com/2018/10/18/hard-boiled-eggs/) You have two options with hard-boiled eggs. You can hard-boil the eggs, peel them, smash them up and feed them to your chickens, or, you can just smash them up with the shells still attached and feed them to your chickens. The calcium from the eggs shells is an extra benefit for your laying hens and it makes it easy if you just smash up the eggs without having to peel them. I prefer to peel my eggs first just for the fact that I have roosters in with my hens and they don’t need the calcium.
Whether you feed your chickens scrambled eggs, or hard boiled eggs, make sure that you save the egg shells, wash them, dry them out, grind them up and feed them back to your hens. The added calcium will help to replenish all the calcium they lose in making eggs. It’s an inexpensive way to give back to your hens and I think that you will be surprised at how quickly your girls will consume this appealing calcium supplement.
My hens are good to me, supplying my family, friends and neighbors with an abundance of healthy, vitamin and mineral rich eggs! The least that I can do is treat them good too, and providing them with yummy, healthy treats is fun and easy. Feel free to cook up those extra eggs and feed them to your birds. They will thank you‼
