Can chickens eat eggshells?

Better not: chickens shouldn’t eat eggshells. Among measures backyard keepers can take against bird flu, a German state agency (LAVES) lists not feeding food and kitchen waste or eggshells. In the UK, waste from kitchens that may handle eggs is banned as farm animal feed (DEFRA). US extension services, on the other hand, suggest dried, crushed eggshells as a calcium source; dry or bake them first so your hens don’t develop a taste for eggs (Colorado State, extension.org, Alabama Extension). So we err on the side of caution.

Good to know: For calcium, offer oyster shell free choice in a separate feeder (Penn State Extension).

Kitchen scraps: The rules depend on where you live. US extension services allow small amounts of table scraps, no more than 10 percent of the daily diet (Oklahoma State). In the UK, it’s illegal to feed kitchen scraps to chickens, even pet hens (RSPCA, APHA). In the EU, Germany’s agriculture ministry (BMLEH) says kitchen and food waste must not be fed to laying hens.