I actually posted this on instagram back in January but I've been a bit of a busy bee so completely forgot to blog about it, then when I remembered to do so I thought bugger it, I'll leave it till Easter with it being eggs & that.
So, if you didn't know already, eggs are an incredible source of calcium for birds. The best time to provide this extra little treat for birds is in the spring when most birds are raising hatchlings. But any time of the year is great as it actually helps birds digest their food.
How To Prepare Eggshells For Birds
The first step is ensuring the eggshells are sterilized to protect them against the possibility of salmonella poisoning, thats right they can get it too. So first you have to clean them; now if you aren't using the oven which quite often I find I'm not as I'm making scrambled egg for breakfast or soft boiled eggs and to save energy what I do is a wash the shells out with warm water and them pop them to one side in a box till I'm next going to use the oven. Some people boil them but I've only ever baked them. I just pop some greaseproof paper on the bottom of a baking tray (I use paper as otherwise it can stick to the bottom, I always reuse the paper after I have baked them) crush up the eggshell to around 0.5cm and bake it for 30 mins at around 200 degrees.
Incorporating Eggshells
The next step is getting the crushed eggshells to them. I tried putting it on the reclaimed railway sleepers and in a separate bowl & they just weren't all that fussed, so we mix it in with their food & that works just fine. If you don't have a garden / bird feeder, then why don't you bake it up, pop it in some tupperware & when you're next out on your daily lockdown walk, sprinkle it on the floor under a tree where you see birds.
The thing is, what else were you going to do with it? Chuck it in the food waste? Or be even more lazy & just put it in the bin?
Doing all we can to keep our birds healthy & happy is priority number & aids in ensuring your planet remains an oasis for birds for years to come.
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