To the majority of people, eggshells are simply trash.
But to homesteader or natural living enthusiast, eggshells are a surprisingly useful resource.
I personally get a big kick out of finding uses for things people normally throw away. So, I’ve put together a list of 9 Things You Can Do with Eggshells around your own homestead.
(Holy Moly! My list started out with a measly 9 ideas, but after all of my thrify readers left their ideas in the comment section, it has grown to 30+! I’ve edited the list with these new additions- keep them coming folks!)
**It is very important to only use eggshells from healthy, natural chickens if you or your animals are going to ingest the shells. Eggs from factory farms are not only less nutritious, but can also carry harmful pathogens. I personally have no problem eating raw eggs from my own free-range hens, but I wouldn’t do so with eggs from the store.**
1. Feed them to your chickens.
Boost your flock’s calcium intake by crushing the shells and feeding them back to your hens. My girls much prefer crushed egg shells over the oyster shell supplement from the feed store. I wrote a post a while back that has all the details of collecting, crushing, and feeding the shells.
2. Use the shell’s membrane as an all-natural bandage.
I just discovered this idea, so I have yet to try it, but what a cool concept! The membrane of the shell is reported to help promote healing in cuts and scratches. This post should be able to answer most of your questions about using membranes as a first-aid tool.
3. Boil the shells in your coffee.
My first thought when I read this idea was ”Why on earth would you do that?” But apparently, people have been boiling eggshells in their coffe for centuries to help clarify the grounds and reduce bitterness. I have yet to give this a try myself, but it might be worth a try. Here is a Boiled Eggshell Coffee tutorial.
4. Sprinkle the shells around your garden to deter pests.
Soft-bodied critters like slugs or snails don’t like crawling over sharp pieces of shell.
5. Give your tomatoes a calcium boost.
Blossom-end rot is a common tomato problem, but I recently learned that it is actually caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant. Experienced gardeners often place eggshells in the bottom of the hole when transplanting their tomato plants to help combat this problem. I’m definitely trying this next year!
6. Eat them.
Yeah, I know. First I told you to eat your weeds, and now I’m saying to eat eggshells… Hey, I never claimed to be normal. 
But yes, many folks actually do eat eggshells for their awesome amounts of calcium. I’ve never actually tried it, but I know that several of my readers have. This post will give you all the info you need to make your own calcium-rich eggshell powder.
7. Use them to start seedlings.
If homemade paper pots aren’t your style, give some of your smaller seedlings a start in rinsed-out shells. This post from Apartment Therapy will give you all the info and photos you need to get you started.
8. Toss them in the compost pile.
Add calcium to your compost by adding shells to your pile or tumbler.
9. Sow directly into the soil.
If none of the previous idea sound appealing and you don’t have a compost pile, then you can simply turn crushed shells directly into your garden patch. It’s still better than sending them to the garbage.
All of the following ideas were submitted by readers of The Prairie Homestead:
10. Potting Soil Addition: Used coffee grounds and egg shells are wonderful in potted plants. I use a 1:4 ratio. (From Tala)
11. Blade Sharpening: Keep them in the freezer and use to clean and sharpen blender blades by adding water. Then pour the mixture into your compost bin. (From Greenie and Ceridwyn)
12. Canine Remedy: I save mine and let them dry out, when I have a good size amount I crush them, then use a coffee grinder and make them into a powder. If one of my dogs get diarrhea, I just sprinkle a couple teaspoons of the powder on their food for a day and the diarrhea goes away. (From Terri)
13. Calcium Pills: I save my eggshells in a large bowl, then I steam them to sanitize them and let them dry. Then I grind them down (I use a vitamix but I think any blender would do if you crush them a little first, or just do it in a coffee grinder) into a fine powder and spoon them into 00 gelatin capsules for homemade calcium pills. (From Mari)
14. Mineral supplement: I sometimes soak egg shells in lemon water for a few weeks in the fridge. Then I add a tiny bit to my shakes to get extra minerals. (From Jill)
15. Tooth Remineralizing: Natural News.com has an article about using comfrey root & fresh egg shell (organic & pasture raised) for re-mineralizing your teeth. Not sure about this particular method, but it would make sense due to the healing properties of the comfrey AND the minerals in the egg shell. (From Jennifer)
16. Sidewalk chalk: 5-8 egg shells (finely ground), 1 tsp hot water, 1 tsp flour, food coloring optional…mix and pack into toilet tissue rolls and let dry. (From Linda)
17. First Aid Treatment: Fresh egg membranes applied, then allowed to dry, will “draw” minor infections: splinter, pimple, boil, etc. (From Anne)
18. Making Water Kefir: You can also use egg shell to nourish your water kefir grains. You just add 1/4 of a clean egg shell to your water kefir while it’s brewing. We’ve done this instead of buying mineral drops and it seems to work great. (From Jenna, Sherry, and Tiffani)
19. Christmas Ornaments: When I found a large cache of slightly-flawed plastic suncatcher ornaments to paint cheap at the local flea market a few years ago, I snatched a big bunch of them up. I mixed regular acrylic colors with Elmer’s glue and various “texturizing” elements to pack those suncatchers with. I tried everything from small seeds and spices, to sifted sand, and my favorite turned out to be crushed egg shells. They were no longer transparent, but the flaws were covered, and they make very nice Christmas tree ornaments, wall hangings, mobiles, etc. (From Sweetp)
20. Make Calcium Citrate: Make your own calcium citrate using only fresh farm raised, preferably organic, egg shells. Rinse residual egg out of the shells and air dry. Crush the shell and add 1t. lemon juice per egg shell and cover. The lemon juice will dissolve the shell and there you have it… calcium citrate. (From Mary Anne)
21. Calcium-Rich Vinegar: I was taught by my herbalist teacher to make a calcium rich vinegar by adding calcium rich herbs (nettles, dock, etc) and one clean high quality eggshell to apple cider vinegar. It needs to infuse for at least six weeks, then be decanted. But the calcium from the shell and the plants goes into the vinegar and can be used as regular vinegar would be in salad dressing, over cooked greens, etc. (From Sara)
22. Pan Scrubber: Crushed egg shells work great to scrub pans that have food stuck in them. Yes they will break up, but they still do the job! (From Rose)
23. Ice Cream Addition (?): I was told companies put egg shell powder in cheap ice cream to add extra calcium. I imagine you could do this when making homemade ice cream as well. (From Brenda)
24. Comestic Booster: Make it into a powder and add a little bit to your nail polish to strengthen nails. Take that same powder and put it into ice cube trays with water and rub it on your face– it helps reduce the look of wrinkles. Put the powder in your lotion– it softens your hands. (From Amy)
25. Add to Broth/Stocks: For extra calcium and minerals. (From Becky and Tiffani) (Get my homemade stock/broth tutorial here.)
26. Arts and Crafts: Use to make mosaics or mixed-media art projects. (From Carol and Janet)
27. House Plant Booster: “My Grandmother kept eggshells covered with water in a mason jar which she used to water her African violets. She had the most magnificent plants imaginable!” (From Cynthia)
28. Wild Bird Treat: You can also feed them to the birds. They’re high in calcium and are great for birds in the spring when they are laying eggs– just make sure to sterilize them. Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes at 250 F and crush them. (From Susanne)
29. Laundry Whitener: To help your whites not to turn greyish, put a handful of clean and broken down eggshells and 2 slices of lemon in a little cheesecloth bag with your clothes in the washer. It will prevent the soap deposit that turns the white clothes grey. (From Emilie)
30. Garbage Disposal Cleaner: Toss a few shells down your disposal to help freshen things up. (From Carol) (Okay– since originally posting this, I’ve had several folks say this is a bad idea and that it will clog your drain– so proceed with caution…)
What do you do with eggshells? Share in the comments and I’ll add your ideas to this post!
About Jill Winger
Hi, here’s another really usefull trick you can do with egg shells: Whiten you clothes! To help your whites not to turn greyish just put a handfull of clean and broken down eggshells and 2 slices of lemon in a little cheesecloth bag with your clothes in the washer, It will prevent the soap deposit that turns the whites clothes grey. ( instead of spending on thing like oxyclean!!)
I’ve never, ever heard of this Emilie! Can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
So interesting, did not know you could eat them.
And there is more!
Curious? Take a look at my blogpost.
http://de-gulle-aarde.blogspot.nl/2012/03/hergebruik-van-de-eierschaal.html
You can also put them in your meat stock!
LOL I thought for a minute this said ‘MEAT SOCK” …and I’m = “what the hell?”
You can also feed them to the birds..they’re high in calcium and are great for birds in the spring when they are laying eggs, just make sure to sterilize them. bake them in the oven for 20 mins at 250 F and crush them
Way back, my Grandmother kept eggshells covered with water in a mason jar which she used to water her African violets. She had the most magnificent plants imaginable.!
I keep crushed egg shells in a jar which I add to wild bird seed to act as grit as well as provide calcium practicularly for use in winter.
Also when I feed egg to my dogs they get the shell too, especially beneficial for puppies.
AND egg membranes are used in joint supplements….I didnot know about placing it on cuts which I am about to do…thanks for postoing.
Interesting Cynthia– the “old timers” really had stuff figured out, didn’t they.
Stick the egg shells in fermenting beverages, the acid will leach calcium out of the shell and into the drink. See Sandor Katz’s sweet potato fly recipe for an example. http://www.crockandjar.com/sweet-potato-fly/
We use ours primarily in the stock pot with bones and veggies. Gotta love mineral rich broth!!
Ah yes- I forgot about that! I sometimes put eggshells in my water kefir as well!
You should never feed your old egg shells to your chickens. You need to give them oyster shell calcium. If you don’t then eventually you will end up with eggs with very thin shells. Egg shells do not have enough calcium in them for the birds to get what they need. You will also be encouraging egg eating by some of the birds. You are essentially encouraging a form of cannibalism, which will result in possible diseases and other problems. Mad cow disease is readily spread in the factory farm setting because the animals are fed meat byproducts instead of their natural vegan diet. So, please, please do not feed your chickens old egg shells.
I can’t speak to whether feeding eggshells to chicken is a good idea or not, but I did want to point out that unlike cows, chickens are NOT vegetarians. When they scratch around they’re looking for bugs, worms, grubs…they aren’t supposed to have only grain.
Yes, good point Susie!
People’s opinions really vary on this subject, but I choose to go ahead and do it. I also offer oyster shell to my hens, but they far, far prefer the eggshells. It hasn’t caused mine to eat their eggs. I know some wild birds also will eat eggshells, so I figure if they do it, it must be somewhat “natural.”
I definitely feed the shells back to them. I’ve done it forever, and my girls shells are not brittle or thin. They are thick awesome eggs. They also don’t eat their own eggs.
Seems like the key might be to crush them up really well- then they don’t actually know it’s from the eggs. I’ve heard of others giving like half shells and the chickens have then started breaking, and eating, their eggs after that.
I used to work at a zoo and we used to feed the entire egg to the ducks and geese… if that means anything to you all.
Interesting- did you notice that it cause the ducks/geese to want to eat their own eggs more often?
I always feed the shells to my chickens. I bake them first to change the flavor and make them more brittle. I have never used oyster shell to give my chickers extra calcium. I have never had thin or weak eggs. I think that the chickens got on fine before somebody thought to feed them crushed up shells, but my chickens are free range as well.
Your not feeding them there chicks and dogs east there placenta off puppies no need to be narrowed minded and go all ASPCA on us my family has raised quality organic chickens this way for years. I suppose you want me to also give my chickens antibiotics and hormones? Do done research chickens do this naturally. Any way love all these different usages for egg shells! Awesome website by the way
I am not going all ASPCA on anyone. Too bad your grammar is as poor as your manners. My grandfather raised chickens for over forty years without the use of hormones, antibiotics or any other chemicals. He was a wise man and found that giving his free range flock their egg shells rather than the oyster shells produced poor eggs over time, as well as encouraging egg eating. When one is raising hens for their eggs, one tends not to want to encourage egg eating. Even in the best conditions one cannot fully replicate nature. I am, of course, assuming that your aren’t raising these animals to be your friends, but rather to provide food for you and your family – whether for their flesh or only for their eggs. I also assume that you are trying to find the balance between maximizing the output and successful harvest of eggs, with providing the birds with the best conditions. The chicken, which originally come from jungle climes, may indeed eat some egg shells in the wild, but their diet is so much more varied than what even the best so called organic farmer can provide. Do your homework.
Catherine, maybe you are taking this too offensively? Did you ever consider this person either is in or may have come from a different country? This response was a tad bit harsh. Everyone evidently is doing their homework and coming up with different conclusions. See below for others’ about egg shell consumption.
You just need to calm down i have auto correct on my phone and didn’t care to read thru what i wrote and besides who the hell are you LIL Miss country grammar! I don’t eat my chickens and some are no longer laying! You just are a judgmental person who wants to push your way on everyone! This was “uses of EGGSHELLS not opinions of closed minded people who will pass judgment on how you raise chickens or use eggs/egg shells. Get a life and understand you are the minority here.
What I don’t understand is why a vegan would even be interested in this thread. By your own statement, this is cannibalism, so logically, the egg is “chicken” which is definitely not vegan. So I assume you don’t eat eggs or chickens. I have fed eggshells to my chickens for over 40 years, and haven’t ever had a hen start eating her own eggs because she ate eggshells. We put our eggshells on a lower rack in the oven to dry, and crush them into fine pieces before feeding them. Never fed oyster shell, caged birds or free range. Never had a soft or thin shell problem. (Occasionally, a new pullet will lay a soft-shell egg, but that is normal, and not a sign of calcium deficiency.) I appreciate your concern, but maybe what you need to do is get your own flock of chickens and do your own research (homework).
I have been raising chickens for years since I was a kid, I am also a Owner/moderator of a Chicken group with over 3000 members and I have never heard of this being a problem with any of my members, my own family has always fed them the egg shells & the eggs are just as healthy as any store bought…better….. I can’t agree on the cannibalism theory that they will turn if you feed them egg shells, they may turn for other reason’s like living in small quarters, no place to roam, trying to get away from the hen pecking order, or new feathers coming out mistaken it for food are just some of the theory’s on why they will eat their own. Chickens are omnivores and want the protein & will eat anything slower, smaller & weaker then them if they can catch it.
Another great use for them.. Make it into a powder and add a little bit to your nail polish to strengthen nails. Take that same powder and put it into ice cube trays with water and rub it on your face. It helps reduce the look of wrinkles. Another thing. Put the powder in your lotion. It softens your hands.
what do you all use to grind into such fine powders?
I want to confirm mixing a good handful of crushed eggshells in the planting hole for tomatoes. I’ve been doing that for 4-5 years now. What a difference!! Roma tomatoes were especially notorious for blossom end rot in my garden – maybe 60% loss. Once I started the eggshell treatment I’ve had to throw away only a handful of tomatoes total over all the years.
Thanks for the good report Joy! Now I really can’t wait to try this next year!
Can feeding eggshells to my chickens encourage them to eat their own eggs?
It depends on who you talk to– I don’t think it does, and many people agree with me. However, sometimes people are concerned about this. The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to crush them up first.
If you’ve ever seen or had birds nest, have you ever noticed any shells once they hatched? I’ve had several robin nests under my deck, and every time, there was no shell residue at all. So my guess it they ate it, just like animals eat their placenta. It’s the natural way to get extra nutrients. So It’s unlikely for them to eat the eggs, plus they know what’s in it.
I do most of those things. I made some powder out of egg shells to make calcium but I don’t use it very often, it’s too grity!
You forgot my favourite one! If you chop up your shells with your secateurs it sharpens them ! Easy! Something to do with the structure of the shells. then you can do what you like with them.
I add a small piece to my kefir water-makes the grains multiply faster.
I put my eggshells on the compost but when it was all rotted down the eggshells were still as new. So I stopped but I will now grind them (after sharpening the secetuers of course).
I also found my hair still there and then remembered that otherwise rotted thousand-year-old bodies still have their hair! Whoops.
In Holland during the occupation, they ate egg shells to keep give them calcium, according to my Oma. As children we used to eat the shells to see what it was like for her growing up.
Use in art projects, mixed media. glue on then add different mediums over top of the crushed shells.
I have always been an arts & crafts oriented person who enjoys trying new things. And I’ve never been one to buy kits and follow their instructions mindlessly. When I found a large cache of slightly-flawed plastic suncatcher ornaments to paint cheap at the local flea market a few years ago, I snatched a big bunch of them up. Instead of trying to cover the flaws with the transparent acrylic paints usually supplied with them, I chose to try something different. I mixed regular acrylic colors with Elmer’s glue and various “texturizing” elements to pack those suncatchers with. I tried everything from small seeds and spices, to sifted sand, and my favorite turned out to be crushed egg shells. They were no longer transparent, but the flaws were covered, and they make very nice Christmas tree ornaments, wall hangings, mobiles, etc. This turned out to be a very fun and fulfilling creation, and I now have an old coffee can full of washed, crushed eggshells that I keep on hand for such experiments. And BTW, I also added beads, ribbons, and all kinds of other little crafty touches with different mediums to really dress them up. These are small, simple, inexpensive projects for the kids too. A cold winter evening around the table with the whole family creating Christmas tree ornaments is a great family project that will create everlasting memories.
Try it and have fun!
Great ideas Sweetp! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, it really was a fun experiment, and I still have quite a few of the loose suncatchers that I am looking to pull out soon and maybe get my niece and her friend to try when the cold weather sets in. I only wish I could direct you to a sourceto get some as cheaply as I got these. If anyone comes across such a source, please send me
info
I can also vouch for using the egg shells with tomatoes to help prevent blossom end rot. I always put a few in the bottom of the hole when I plant. I did have some problems this year (with BER) but I think that was due to the drought more than anything else.
I also toss them in my compost pile. I’ve heard about using them to clarify stock but have yet to give that a try.
I was told companies put egg shell powder in cheap ice cream to add extra calcium. I imagine you could do this when making homemade ice cream as well.
From an oldtimer: Crushed egg shells work great to scrub pans that have food stuck in them. Yes they will break up but they still do the job!
Brilliant! Never heard of this one– thanks for sharing Rose!
I was taught by my herbalist teacher to make a calcium rich vinegar by adding calcium rich herbs (nettles, dock, etc) and one clean high quality eggshell to apple cider vinegar. Needs to infuse for at least six weeks, then be decanted. But the calcium from the shell and the plants goes into the vinegar and can be used as regular vinegar would be in salad dressing, over cooked greens (more calcium!), etc. You might need to have someone show you how to do it properly. And the egg shell will cause the mixture to foam a bit so you should keep the container on a plate or something while it is infusing…
Good idea! Never thought of that one either!
Sharing on FB! Nice post!!! As usual
Thanks Miss Adrienne.
Make your own calcium citrate using only fresh farm raised, preferably organic, egg shells. Rinse residual egg out of the shells and air dry (or you could put them in a dehydrator) crush the shell and add 1t. lemon juice per egg shell and cover. The lemon juice will dissolve the shell and there you have it… calcium citrate. I have read of people dissolving the shell right off the whole egg then using the lemon egg in smoothies too but I haven’t tried it.
Fascinating Mary Anne! I didn’t know about that- thanks for sharing!
Don’t forget, you can put them down your ink disposal and it sharpens the blades. I, too, feed them to my chickens and what the chickens scatter from their grit bowl, the dogs munch on.
*sink disposal
Great list! You can also use egg shell to nourish your water kefir grains. You just add 1/4 of a clean egg shell to your water kefir while it’s brewing. We’ve done this instead of buying mineral drops and it seems to work great.
Fresh egg membranes applied then allowed to dry, will”draw” minor infections: splinter, pimple, boil, etc.
5-8 egg shells (finely ground), 1 tsp hot water, 1 tsp flour, food coloring optional…mix and pack into toilet tissue rolls; let dry —-> sidewalk chalk !
Awesome idea! Prairie Baby would love that.
Natural News dot com has an article about using comfrey root & fresh egg shell (organic & pasture raised) for re-mineralizing your teeth. Not sure about this particular method, but it would make sense due to the healing properties of the comfrey AND the minerals in the egg shell. I have re-mineralized 2 of my teeth & got completely rid of a cavity (& most of my other cavity) by using Green Pastures fermented cod liver oil & raw butter oil. It’s amazing! So there is something in the vitamin/mineral content that allows cavities to heal & the tooth to remineralize. It just make sense. And don’t any ol’ trolls go & say it can’t be done, because it CAN. I did it!
The Healthy Home Economist’s website & Weston A. Price’s website has all the info on healing cavities. And you can go to NN & search the articles for the “how to” on the comfrey/egg shell method. Hope that helps!
Interesting Jennifer! I’ve heard of the remineralizing technique using the FCLO, but never using comfrey and egg shell. I’m intrigued! I have bad teeth and would love to avoid more dentist trips, so I’ll definitely be looking into this.
i’m soooo glad i kept reading ALL the posts!
thanks for all the info
You may have covered all of these, but I was really impressed with how the eggshells handled my slugs!!
http://www.stitchingheartstogether.net/2012/04/16/101-ways-to-use-eggs-eggshells-6/
This may have been mentioned but I’ll say it anyway: I sometimes soak egg shells in lemon water for a few weeks in the fridge. Then I add a tiny bit to my shakes to get extra minerals….
My great grandmother used to use eggshells in her perked coffee and it does take out the bitterness. It was a great cup of coffee.
I save my eggshells in a large bowl, then I steam them to sanitize them and let them dry. Then I grind them down (I use a vitamix but I think any blender would do if you crush them a little first, or just do it in a coffee grinder) into a fine powder and spoon them into 00 gelatin capsules for homemade calcium pills.
I like the capsule idea Mari- not sure I’d be able to choke down just the plain powder by itself.
It was a lot of work, but worth it. At the school I work at we had families send in their rinsed and dried egg shells. We crushed them and colored them in food coloring. The students then made mosiac masterpieces. they were all beautiful too. Just don’t crush them too small.
I raise dachshunds, and I have found a wonderful use for egg shells. I save mine and let them dry out, when I have a good size amount I crush them, then use a grinder(like you buy for coffee beans) and make them into a powder. then I just put them in an airtight container until I need them.
If one of my dogs get diarhea (sorry about spelling) I just sprinkle a couple teaspoons of the powder on their food for a day and the diarhea goes away.
an old friend told me about it a lo9ng time ago and I have used it when ever needed,
Interesting– and very good to know– considering I have 3 rowdy dogs.
THROW THEM IN YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL .. CLEANS IT!
Keep them in the freezer and use to clean and sharpen blender blades by adding water. Then pour the mixture into your compost bin.
Good one Greenie- I bet my blender blades are beyond dull…
I love stuff like this – I hate wasting food! I keep meaning to try the egg shells in my coffee; thanks for the reminder.
Used coffee grounds and egg shells are wonderful in potted plants. I use a 1-4 ratio
These are great tips! I compost my egg shells, and occasionally use them as starter pots. Now I’m going to try just crushing and sprinkling them right on the garden. (I don’t have any chickens … yet.) Thank you for sharing.
Bulk Herb Store has a really good recipe for stock using chicken, (free-range), chicken feet, (optional) egg shells, vinegar, and various vegetables. Look on http://www.bulkherbstore.com. Also, the books “Nourishing Traditions” and “Raw Energy” have some good tips and recipes. Bulk Herb Store also has recipes for beef & fish stock.
I put crushed eggshells into our homemade cat food. It gives them beautifully silky fur!
Awesome! I’m catless at the moment, but will have to give that a try when we get another barn cat.
Wow, what a great list! I don’t have any ideas to add, but I linked to this article in my big list of ways to reuse things.
Wonderful ideas!
Is it possible to use storebought eggs (carton reads grain fed and free range – but stil probably factory) – can they be used in the compost – or added to tomato plants?
What about boiling the egg shells? Would that remove the pathogens – would the shells still be good as calcium in the compost bin or in with the tomato plants?
Thank you!
Hi Laura,
I personally wouldn’t have a problem using storebought eggs for my compost or tomato plants– it’s just the ideas that call for eating them, etc, that would make me nervous with factory eggs.
I’m not sure about the boiling and how it would affect the calcium. I imagine it would still be high in calcium, but I can’t say for 100% sure.
I save eggshells for my friends’ worms (worm bin, worm farm?). I understand it makes the worm castings higher in calcium. Probably the same as putting them in the compost.
The red wiggler worms also use them to help digest the compost-able material.
After I crack my eggs, I wipe out the last bit of liquid with my finger and apply under my eyes before putting them in the compost. It’s always been really good for that delicate skin there, tightens everything up and nourishes it at the same time. It could be the lecithin. I also vinegar tincture them (they will foam and dissolve) and use them in my zucchini bed. And I’ve heard that they’ll dissuade cats from digging in the garden soil, but that hasn’t been enough for my cats. Anyone else?
That’s fascinating about using it under your eyes! Never heard that before– thanks for sharing!
I grew up on a farm and my mother taught me to never feed egg shells to the chickens as that would definitely encourage them to eat their own eggs (or eggs of other chickens in the coop.) To this day, she has never fed eggs to hers, and they produce wonderful eggs without them.
When we were kids, we used to take 1/2 a shell, glue two large cotton balls in the shell, one on top of the other and use construction paper to make black eyes, orange beak, wings and feet to make a baby chick in a shell for Easter. Then use a scrap for a newly hatched “hat”.
I’ve used them for years, especially on my tomatoes. They really love them. I also raise redworms in extra large containers. The Coffee grinder powder causes the worms to multiply tremendously. I use the worm-castings on all my plants to keep the white flys off and my plants are always healthy. Egg shells haven’t gone in the trash for years, and now I’ve learned many new uses. Thanks !
I used to be a ballet dancer and I vouch for their efficiency in curing blisters. Pointed shoes often give bloody and horrible blisters that should be cured ASAP for the next class or rehearsal. Take the egg membrane and put the wet side on your blister, a band- aid on and leave it overnight. And…voila! Next morning, if not completely healed .it had certainly improved and allowed me to wear my pointed shoes again.
Directed at the comment about eggshells for the disposal: I recently had to replace my disposal unit, and my plumber said one of the worst things to throw down the disposal was egg shells, he said when he goes to fix disposal that is the number 1 things he finds clogging them. Instead put a handful of ice down the disposal to clean it along with a slice or two of lemon for a clean fresh smell.
For my daughters first birthday party, I made her a pinata using egg shells. First we blew up a balloon. We used strips of newspaper and a flour/water mixture for the base. After three layers of newspaper, we glued egg shells filled with confetti all around the outside. Lastly, we spray painted it purple and added leaves on top, so it would look like grapes. The smallest children hit the pinata first and the confetti fell out, and then the older kids broke it for the candy. It was amazing!
What a neat idea Nicole- I never would have thought of that!
Thank you so much, all, for your posts! I always thought it was a waste just to throw the shells in the garbage. Tried putting them in the compost in the past but ended up still with egg shells. Found out after they dry a bit in the sink they crunch up very easily! Will definitely try a lot of these things. I don’t have much experience with chickens yet, just starting out, but when I think that humans sometimes consume their placentas (OK that personally would gross me out) and what one person said about wild birds/no egg shells left in the nest makes biological sense.
Question: Why do you need to bake (sterilize) (#28) it for a wild bird treat but not for the home-flock?
I bake my egg shells on a piece of foil at approx 250 degrees F until I can smell their stink then I check on them. When they are slightly browned I take them out of the oven, let them cool, then put them in a coffee can. Periodically, I will take a paper towel and crush them inside the can using the paper towel to save my hands. I also save banana peels in the fridge and I put both the crushed egg shells and banana peels around my roses. I fold the foil and save it for the next time.
You can use a variety of jars: baby food, pimiento, jelly, or any clear jar with a tight-sealing lid.
Use a glue gun, aquarium sealant, or florist clay to adhere your ‘scene’ to the inside of the lid. Allow glue to ‘set’ the required time before adding liquid.
Fill the jar with mineral oil, baby oil, or water. The snow or glitter will fall more slowly in the oil.
Add crushed egg shell for snow and glitter, if desired.
Carefully set the lid (with scene) onto the full jar and seal it tightly.
You may wish to apply more glue or sealant around the outside rim of the jar to ensure a good seal.
You did great! Enjoy
If you crack them carefully, you can make cascarones (also known as confetti eggs). My kids, know teenagers, still love making them and cracking them over any unsuspecting person who wanders by….
throw the eggshell into your coffee grinder and grind it down…makes the blades sharper and cleans the grinder well…and then you have powdered eggshell to add to soil
Simple but works great! powdered eggshell is great to clean pots and pans, the oven and tile and bathtubs or showers (basically anything needing abrasive scrubbing power!) IF you are going to EAT them it it wise to bake them first to kill any chance of selmonella!
As for the conflict about using eggs as a calcium supplement, we DO this and it is great!! )yes crush the shells though) As for oyster shells I have had 1 chicken we know of die of internal bleeding due to a cut in her from the oyster shells! I am thinking they were not ground well enough…so sad! Not sure how common it is, but certainly something to watch for.
Love the egg-scouring-powder idea!
DONT sterilize egg shells before feeding to wild birds or animals. it changes the molecular structure. When did you see birds out in the wild sterilizing anything,especially egg shells? Think.
Something I do with my egg shells is to start my veggie seeds and herbs in them. I crack them as to have a cup and then just losely fill with potting soil. Plant seed and water daily. Then when they are ready to transfer, just plant the whole thing. It works awesome. I place them in an egg carton to keep them upright and in place.
Yes! I’ve seen this idea around the internet– looks like a great one!
Good article overall. By the way Slugs and Snails are not insects but Mollusks
Whoops- I’ll get that fixed.
I use the ground up shells to clean my bathroom as a scrub.
here is an old idea not listed yet; save all your egg shells, (lots) dry each of them out and pull the inner membrane out (make sure there is nothing but the shell itself) place in blender and whir into a power. comes out like cornstarch, if you wanted scented powder ; place powdered egg shells into a glass jar,add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and either wrap the outside of the jar with dark paper or paint outside of jar. (you want NO light to get in) seal lid on tight, place in dark corner of your closet or cubby for I believe 4-6 weeks. and you have scented talc power for yourself.
Wow Candace, NEVER would have thought of that one! Thanks!
Just fyi: I was putting eggshells down my garbage disposal to “freshen it up” and wound up with a flooded kitchen. The plumber told me that unless your disposal actually pulverizes the shells (which is very unlikely for any brand of disposal), they end up clogging the pipes because the membranes cause them to bunch together almost like glue, obviously forming a bit of a barrier. For me, that tip was a total disaster. I would remove that tip as it is NOT a good idea.
I make homemade toothpaste instead of adding calcium i add ground up egg shells. it adds the calcium to the toothpaste and also adds a little abrasive for cleaning.
along with egg shells you should mix in old coffie grinds and add to the garden coffie is poisonus to slugs and snails and if they get around that they have the egg shells to contend with
Just watch out when you eat the shells because that’s where salmonella likes to hide! Think about it…. the chicken poops out the egg…so where do you think poop is? on the outside of the eggshell! Where does salmonella and e. coli like to play? In the poop! So, the outside of the egg shells can contain salmonella and e. coli! Just wiping the shells clean will not help ya! You will never see me consume eggshells!
Yes– salmonella and e. coli do live in feces. However, free-range chickens raised on proper diets are much less likely to carry these diseases. That is why I comfortable eating raw eggs from our own chickens, but not store-bought eggs.
I’m sorry, Jill, but please take an anatomy and physiology course. No offense, but we all carry these bacteria (they are bacteria, not diseases). They help us digest things. In fact, they are in all living creature’s digestive systems; helping everything breakdown and digest foods. Right now, as you are reading this, e. coli and/or salmonella are inside your digestive tract; breaking down whatever organic material you sent their way. So, how does one get sick with these bacteria? Well, we each have our own normal bacteria (what they call normal flora). No two normal flora are the same! So if flora from someone else goes inside your body, your body acts like it is a stranger and attacks it! You then get sick and could possibly die! This is why everyone tells you to wash your hands, especially after using the bathroom! So, no matter what you feed your chickens (free-range by the way includes chickens eating dirt, garbage, etc… I’d watch them more closely so that they are on your so-called proper diet).
I never said anything about eating raw eggs, either. I said eating the egg shells as stated in the regular post. The eggs in the shells are fine to eat. I enjoy eating them. However, the shells contain the poop and the bacteria I talked about earlier. If you would like more information on bacteria and where it comes from, I will be glad to explain it all to you! Thanks!
Wow, Frank. What condescension! Any chance you could’ve given us all the biology lesson without the attitude?
I’m just sick of reading articles where people don’t state the consequences of eating potentially harmful substances. Then, when someone does, they get told that it’s not possible because they are home grown and whatnot. Just because something is home-grown does not mean that it’s perfectly safe for consumption. There are hazards with anything, whether it’s organic or not. Sorry if I offended anyone, but I was offended when I read such nonsense and felt the need to warn people before they tried it and became potentially, fatally ill.
I feed them to my hens too.
It’s been very interesting reading all the comments on here. I agree with all the uses of eggshells. But to slam each other in their uses doesn’t do any good. We each have our own ideas and if you don’t agree with someone else, that’s fine. Do what is best for you. But kind words go much further than bitter words. I, too, am an oldtimer and have raised many chickens in my day, but let each responder to the blog have their own ideas and if you don’t agree with them, ignore the comment. It makes for much more pleasant reading. May God bless all of you in your endeavors in striving for better health.
I painted eggshells with acrilic paint to create landscapes when I was younger… I also painted dried leaves with acrilic paint to create landscapes too. Cheap natural canvas. Obviously you have to blow them out first. Here is a site that teaches you how to blow them out… http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/04/how-to-make-blown-egg-ornaments/
O. M. G. Thank you!!
I rinse and let my shells dry. Then I grind them to a powder and add them to the kitchen scraps I feed to my compost worms. My castings are high in calcium, very good for the garden, especially tomato plants.
Oh yes– gotta feed those worms!
The link for the coffee is wonky. Here is the correct link http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/drink/reviews/Boiled-Coffee-241190
This is awesome! I usually just give my leftover eggshells to my labrador (she loves to munch them straight down), but I’m keen to try some of these other ideas! Thanks for a great post
I learned a few things I didn’t know from this list, thanks for sharing. It’s awesome how much can be done with something that most people simply throw away.
I’ve read that feeding egg shells to your chickens will give them a taste for them and they will actually start to eat their own eggs. I don’t have chickens anymore so I cannot test this but its just a heads up.
I’ve heard that as well- but have never noticed it causing a problem.
My father was raised on a chicken ranch. My grandfather ran his own chicken ranch in Southern California. My own father said that you give your chickens the old crushed up egg shells in their feed.
another thing to use the egg shells for is as you would comet or another sink scrubber. A friend of mine used to use them. he was the one who told me about that years ago. It will whiten and clean the sink wonderfully without the chemicals. I love that idea because i keep the chemicals out of my house.
Great tip Dawn- thanks for sharing!
Egg Shell Bathtub Scrub! http://www.nourishingjoy.com/homemade-bathtub-scrub-with-a-surprising-secret-ingredient/
How awesome is that?!
do not feed them back to your chickens as the chickens will then start eating their own eggs.
Totally agree, but many here seem to be of the opposite opinion. Get the feeling that if they don’t experience the problem, then it cannot ever happen. Hmm, wonder who is closed minded now?
Thanks so much for all the wonderful info!
We have our own Free-range chickens and go through many egg shells!!!!
You are very welcome Mariah!
Hi, I just boiled a dozen eggs and thought I’d search for ideas to use the shells when I plant my garden. Love all your suggestions here. I have to add one more sort of related to feeding them to your chickens. I had a male parakeet once and decided to get a female to try to mate them. The female about killed the male, so that didn’t work, but she did lay eggs regularly. Problem: she would almost die lying on the floor of her cage after laying an egg. I decided she probably depleted her calcium and maybe even protein supply. I hard boiled and egg, minced the egg and mixed it with the finely crushed the shell. After getting her to eat about a half a tsp. full the first time, she ate it more eagerly and came back to good health. Wish I could say she lived happily ever after, but she remained vicious until the end. My brother was bird sitting for me when I went on a vacation and a snake got into his basement and into her cage. End of bird. :O(