eggshells

[iam410us]

Hi I would like to know if I have to microwave my eggshells after hard boiling the egg. If so, how long do I microwave them.

[Sally]

If you are hardboiling the eggs first, then removing the shells, you don't need to do any further cooking of them. It is when you haven't cooked the shells yet that you need to microwave them. For example, egg shells from when you cook your breakfast omelet would need to be rinsed and then microwaved for about 3 minutes on high.

[iam410us]

Oh that's great to know. Thanks

[yargnits]

Thats handy to know. I havnt given them raw shells but nice to know i could use them easily if i wanted to.

[Airlyn]

Bumping this since I have a question regarding this topic.
When making eggfood I use the shells too. But wish to offer eggshell free choice as well. If I microwave my breakfast shells or have extra boiled egg shells. Do they go bad? How long can they stay in the cage? I usually boil mine then microwave the shells for 30 seconds to "dry" them, them crush with a rolling pin.
Should I freeze the extras and just add some extra daily or can some be mixed with their Higgins snack attack mineral mix.
Thank you,
Airlyn

[MiaCarter]

I always microwave my eggshells.

There's a membrane that makes it difficult to break them up into small bits.
Plus, I save the eggshells whenever I have eggs and the membrane and any egg white remnants can spoil. So that would limit the amount of time you could leave them in the cage.

Also, if you're making scrambled eggs, there would be raw egg whites on the shells, which can be a source of salmonella and other bacteria (not necessarily harmful for healthy adults, but definitely a danger for babies or immune compromised adults.)

So, I microwave for about 30 seconds. Some large batches need a tad bit longer.
They will burn if you microwave for too long and it smells awful, so just keep an eye on them.

You want to microwave just long enough for the membrane to bubble up and separate from the eggshells. And any remaining membrane just dries up, so it doesn't hold the bits together when you're trying to crush them up. And it's dried up to the point where I don't think it would spoil. (Unless you re-wet it.)
Microwaving also makes the shells more brittle and easier to crush up into a fine texture.
I usually sandwich between a couple of paper towels and then use a meat hammer thingie to beat the heck out of the shells.

I haven't tried freezing. That would kill any bacteria. But it wouldn't solve the problem of the membrane. And the membrane and any egg white remnants could still rot. So I prefer microwaving.

[Airlyn]

Thanks mia, how long can they stay in the cage? Change daily?

[MiaCarter]

If you microwave and remove the membrane, I don't see why you couldn't leave them a bit longer. The actual eggshells don't spoil.

I wouldn't hesitate to leave them in there for 2-3 days, even longer as long as they remained dry.

If you microwaved but don't totally eliminate the membrane, I'd switch them out every other day.

I always mix mine in with egg food, which I serve on top of seed. So it all gets eaten and any remnants are spooned out with the seed hulls.

You could also put them in the coffee grinder to make a fine powder that you could mix in with their favorite foods if they don't eat the little crushed bits. (Most of mine eat the tiny bits, so I don't usually put them in the grinder.)

[debbie276]

If I offer shells that were not hard boiled I microwave them but I prefer hard boiled egg shell, not nuked. The nuked ones will be much more brittle and sharp which I don't like. I leave the shell pieces as big as I can when I peel a hard boiled egg. The birds play with the pieces all day long breaking off what they want to eat and have lots of fun.
I leave the egg in their cage till it is soiled from droppings. The extra bits get laid out on a paper towel to dry up then goes in a container, it lasts a very long time for me. For well over 15 years I have done this and never had a problem.

[Airlyn]

Thank you for your answers

[Rox]

I microwave the egg shells (3min on high) and change them weekly when I clean the aviary's. Haven't had a problem yet

[isobea]

I always use shells from hard boiled eggs. I try to get them off the eggs in the largest pieces possible and then actually peel the membrane off while it is still moist. Boring job I know but it can be done while sitting in the sunshine in the backyard or just letting your mind wander. I used to crush the shells into very small pieces, but those crazy birds of mine actually prefer the bigger ones - go figure. I offer them in a separate dish and just glance at it every day. When the shells start disappearing at a faster rate than usual, I know to look for somebody getting ready to lay eggs. And yes, they seem to last forever.
Iso

[lovezebs]

Airlyn
Hi. Good question.
I use the shells from hard boiled eggs, and boil the raw egg shells from other cooking for ten minutes. I also peel off the membranes (reminds me of being sunburnt as a kid and peeling off the sunburned skin). I sit and break the dry shells apart with my fingers, crush, crush, crush. Bigger pieces are offered for play, tiny bits are mixed in with my bird grit, to which I also add grated iodine blocks.

~Elana~

[KarenB]

I go through lots of eggs per week, and I save all my shells. When I crack open the eggs in the morning for my breakfast or making eggfood, I peel the membrane out of the shell, rinse the shell and let it dry in the sun on my kitchen windowsill. At the end of the week I have a pretty good pile. I bake them in my little toaster oven for 15 minutes on 250. Then I use mortar and pestle and crush them into a fine crunch and mix them with a mineral mix, or just serve them whole for the finches to eat off of for a few days. They just break pieces off as they wish.

[Airlyn]

I go through a lot if eggs too. Those of us in the USA that celebrate. thanksgiving will probably have tons of shells after cooking our dinners !
Thank you all for the great ideas, and for letting me know I don't have to change them each day if prepared properly.
I am going to try the mortar and pestle instead of the rolling pin ;)
Airlyn