Pigs can eat eggshells, yes. Eggshells are a good source of calcium for your pigs. Just make sure you dry eggshells and break them into the small pieces before you feed them to your pigs. You can also give eggs to your hogs because it’s a nice source of protein. But make sure the eggs are boiled and not raw.
Eggshells may be often overlooked, becoming scraps and discarded in bins.
Still, it can offer fantastic health benefits, both to our pigs and to us.
Let’s get to know more about eggshells.
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Are eggshells good for pigs?
Many people are already using eggshells as a source of calcium, protein, and other minerals.
Since it offers these kinds of benefits, it can also give the same to our pigs if we feed them.
When it comes to looking for something to feed to hogs, you can always ask it to yourself.
As long as a particular food is safe for us, it is also safe for these animals.
Thus, if people can consume eggshells, these animals can also consume such.
A study states that eggshells consist mainly of calcium carbonate. Such a component is a common form of calcium. As for the rest, it contains protein and minerals.
Thus, if you ever find yourself cooking eggs, you may want to crush those and give to your pigs.
What about pet pigs (like mini pigs)? Can they eat eggshells?
If you own a pet pig, you can offer some crushed eggshells mixed in its feed.
Since these animals aren’t picky eaters, it may chew on eggshells alone. Still, it would be best to crush it and mix it with other food.
By doing so, you would be sure your pet will eat it.
Both pets and farm pigs have similar systems. Thus, the benefits of eggshells may also be the same for both animals.
However, if your pet is still small, you may want to limit eggshells to smaller servings.
Related – Can pigs eat cheese?
How often can you give eggshells to pigs?
You can feed eggshells to your pigs as frequently as you can. Of course, you shouldn’t take this too seriously.
What I mean is that frequent eggshells mixed into a pig’s food may not do any harm. Still, don’t go too far as to search for eggshells to accommodate every meal.
As long as you have eggshells to spare, you can crush those and mix with the food you’re about to feed.
Generally, we eat eggs all the time, especially during breakfast. Gather those shells and mix those with food.
If you consume many eggs, though, like you own a bakery and use many eggs daily, you don’t need to give everything.
A couple of eggshells should suffice, and there’s no need to give too much.
Are eggshells good food for pig growth?
If you think of feeding eggshells to increase your pig’s growth, there are better options.
These animals need high amounts of protein and fats to have stable and healthy growth.
Eggshells may contain protein, but it’s only a small amount.
If you want to increase your pig’s growth, you may want to feed it something rich in protein like meat.
Eggs are also a great source of protein. If you want, you can boil eggs and give it to your pigs, with the shells still attached.
Don’t discard the value of the eggshells. While it may not directly influence a pig’s growth, it can help by supporting.
The calcium in eggshells improves the strength of bones. As pigs grow, this calcium will be essential to support their body.
Related – Can pigs eat pineapple?
How do you sterilize eggshells?
Sterilizing eggshells is pretty simple. Just boil these shells in water for five minutes.
Afterward, you may remove it from the water and let it dry.
You don’t need to sterilize eggshells for your pigs. However, if you’re going to mix it with your drink, you should do so.
After drying, grind it until it is fine and store it in any container, ready to be used anytime.
Sterilizing eggshells removes any virus or bacteria it carries. Do such a thing if it’s for people. If it’s for your pigs, it can be optional.
Can pigs eat eggs?
Pigs can eat eggs, but I recommend the cooked ones and avoid feeding raw.
Since pigs aren’t picky eaters, they might eat raw eggs. However, uncooked eggs, if consumed, can compromise their biotin absorption.
To ensure a safe meal, always feed cooked eggs to your pigs.
Eggs contain high amounts of protein, which can help pigs build up their bodies while they grow.
Offering eggs as meals would be a healthy treat for these animals.
Can pigs eat strawberries or watermelon? Check it out!
What other animals eat eggshells?
Aside from pigs, many other animals eat eggshells.
Birds, for instance, eat crushed eggshells. Many people scatter their crushed eggshells, and all kinds of birds feed on it.
If you have a bird feeder, you can mix these crushed eggshells with bird feeds.
At the same time, other pets like cats also eat eggshells. Crushed eggshells offer a supplement of calcium for cats who need it.
A single eggshell can already offer 800 mg of calcium, which is already suitable for a cat.
Summary
Most people tend to overlook what eggshells can do. Thus, people who have no idea of its value throw it into the trash after getting what they want.
If you also throw eggshells in trashes, you may want to crush it and give it to pigs. They would enjoy a lot of benefits just by munching on it regularly.
Resources
Image credits – Photos by Ben Mater and Caroline Attwood on Unsplash