Eggshells have so many benefits to feed back to the chickens and to use in the garden. But did you know that you can actually use them as a calcium supplement for yourself? I had no idea up until a few months ago and I recently tested them out.
So today, I wanted to share with you all how to use your eggshells as a calcium supplement for yourself!
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What do you usually do with your eggshells? Do you toss them in the trash? Compost them? Use them in the garden or feed them back to your chickens?
Usually, I add dried eggshells into my chickens feed or treats, especially during the winter months to add protein and calcium back into their diets. I have a post about it here.
When I was writing that post, I found out that you could actually use the eggshells as a calcium supplement for yourself just as you do for your chickens.
The way I think of eggshell powder is similar to the way you would dry our herbs or greens from the garden. You can dry them out in a dehydrator or oven and then blend them to be used as a greens supplement in sauces, smoothies, juices, etc.
Here’s a post from FarmersAlmanac.com recommending it if you don’t believe me.
Calcium Supplement
Yes, you can boil, dry, and blend eggshells into a powder and use it in your food as a calcium supplement. Crazy isn’t it!?
So, now you’re probably wondering how to do just that, so let me tell you how:
Take eggshells from healthy chickens – preferably chickens that you know ie fresh, local eggs. Crack the egg and use the yolk and keep the shell. I like to store mine in a mason jar on the counter with no lid.
Once the jar is full, take your shells and boil them in water. You can add the shells and water to a small pot and once the water is boiling, set your timer to 10 minutes. You must boil your shells to kill any germs or bacteria that may be on the egg.
There may be white that floats to the top, that’s just the insides of the eggs and should be removed from the water as it rises.
When the shells are done boiling, place them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 200 degrees until the shells are dried and can be crushed in your hand. You want the shells to be completely dried, any kind of moisture can cause mold to grow and you will get sick.
After the shells have been dried and can crush in your hand, go ahead and stick them in a blender and pulse until you reach a fine powder.
Blender or Coffee Grinder
To pulse my eggshells I always use my Ninja Blender. You want to be careful not to use a fancy or super expensive blender because the shells will scratch up the blender.
However, if you have a coffee bean grinder, I have seen others pulse their shells in it and the powder is much finer than I can get it in my blender.
Either machine with work to turn the shells into a powder, the only thing you want to look for is making sure the powder is fine. You don’t want chunks or large pieces as the shells can cut your insides as they make their way down your digestive tract.
What Can You Use Eggshells For Calcium In
For my first time using the eggshell powder, I used it in a smoothie.
- Frozen bananas
- Frozen Blueberries
- Handful of Spinach
- 1 Scoop Vega Protein
- Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/2 tbs eggshell powder *however I used way too much and will only use a teaspoon or less next time*
I added everything to a blender cup and blended it in my favorite blender.
Along with smoothies, you can also add your eggshell powder to sauces, meats, casseroles, veggies, juices, bread, baked goods. Honestly, you can add this powder to whatever you want.
More Uses
I shared a reel over on Instagram about using eggshells and I had so many people comment about eggshells being great for dogs! You can use this powder and sprinkle it in with your dogs food and it will help with their coats. This was definitely news to me so I know I will be adding it in with their food to see how they like it.
Now that you know that you can use eggshells for calcium, is this something that you think you will do? It’s so easy now that I know what I am doing, I think this is something that I will add to the homestead right along side the supplements I make for the girls.
It’s so incredible to me that you can use every single part of a chicken – the meat to eat, bones for broth, eggs to eat, and shells to supplement nutrients.
God sure did know what He was doing when He created this world. You don’t need to go to the store for anything, just look in nature and all God’s creations and you will find what you need. This outlook has me so curious to see what else I can find.
As always, if you try this please share in the comments below or share on Instagram and tag me @ourfaithfilledhomestead.
Until next time,
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