Giving Birds a Calcium Boost

Did you know that female birds use a great deal of calcium during egg laying season? That’s why they need to find calcium in nature to replace what’s lost in the egg-making process.

If egg-laying birds don’t have enough calcium, they will have to rely on the calcium in their own bodies which can lead to weak bones and thinner eggshells.

In urbanized areas, calcium can be hard to find in nature. But we can help!

During the nesting season (happening now), the National Audubon Society suggests supplementing bird’s diets with calcium-enriched seeds, such as safflower and sunflower seeds.

Another trick is to provide your backyard birds with leftover chicken eggshells on the feeder to supplement their calcium intake.

Here’s how to prepare the chicken eggs for your birdfeeder:

1 - Rinse the eggshells off in the sink.

2 – Spread them out on a cookie sheet.

3 - Bake them in the oven at about 250 degrees for 10 minutes. Avoid browning the shells; you just want them dry.

4. Crush the dried eggshells.

5. Mix with birdseed and set out on a feeding try or scatter beneath feeder.

Happy birding!