# Feeding egg shell, yes or no



## ArlieV (May 17, 2016)

Hi All, this is my first post here. I have been reading lots of the posts and taking the good advice onboard. My GSD is 12 wk old and she's on raw food. We live on a large sheep property so getting meat is not a problem. In morning she gets 2 chicken necks with 250 grams of minced lamb teaspoon of mixed liver, hart and kidney with table spoon of cooked sweet potato and spinach. She gets this again at night, so just over 500 grams a day. She has raw bones but not really into them yet. I feed her 2 eggs at lunch and she has taste of the wild biscuits available. So question is she loves to eat the egg shells before she licks up the egg is it ok to let her do this or should I crush or grind the egg shells first or just leave her to it? Could eating them cause harm to her? 

Thanks in advance ?


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

I have in the past but I crushed the egg shells. Are chicken necks with the bones safe though?


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Julian G said:


> I have in the past but I crushed the egg shells. Are chicken necks with the bones safe though?


yes, chicken necks are great intro to raw food.

for the egg shells, most people crush them simply to insure that they will be eaten. If she will eat them on her own, it's fine to leave them however you want.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think it won't hurt her, but I think they may not be absorbed in the system unless you dry them and crush them for calcium. I don't really know a lot about feeding raw, but I read an article that if you feed bones, the calcium/phosphorus ratio will be proper, and this is very important. But if you do not feed the bones -- if she does not eat the bones, and you supplement calcium (dried crushed egg shells) than you have to make sure to adjust phosphorous (I believe). Again, know only enough to be dangerous on raw feeding. Good luck.


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## ArlieV (May 17, 2016)

I think so, I have had her on necks from the beginning, got her at 8 weeks and she was very poor.


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## ArlieV (May 17, 2016)

Yes maybe I should dry and grind them so the shells are absorbed easily???


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## ArlieV (May 17, 2016)

Food prep for her yesterday


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

Dainerra said:


> yes, chicken necks are great intro to raw food.
> 
> for the egg shells, most people crush them simply to insure that they will be eaten. If she will eat them on her own, it's fine to leave them however you want.


Can't the bones from the neck get stuck in their intestines though? My family always advised against giving them bones. A friend of mines dog had emergency surgery because a bone wouldnt pass.


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

Julian G said:


> Can't the bones from the neck get stuck in their intestines though? My family always advised against giving them bones. A friend of mines dog had emergency surgery because a bone wouldnt pass.


raw bones are fine. they crush them b4 swallowing. cooked bones are a no no. they splinter and can cause problems.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

ArlieV said:


> Hi All, this is my first post here. I have been reading lots of the posts and taking the good advice onboard. My GSD is 12 wk old and she's on raw food. We live on a large sheep property so getting meat is not a problem. In morning she gets 2 chicken necks with 250 grams of minced lamb teaspoon of mixed liver, hart and kidney with table spoon of cooked sweet potato and spinach. She gets this again at night, so just over 500 grams a day. She has raw bones but not really into them yet. I feed her 2 eggs at lunch and she has taste of the wild biscuits available. So question is she loves to eat the egg shells before she licks up the egg is it ok to let her do this or should I crush or grind the egg shells first or just leave her to it? Could eating them cause harm to her?
> 
> Thanks in advance ?


Eggshells are fine. I just crack the egg and toss in the shell. One dog will eat it, the other wont'. The lining of the shell (egg shell membrane) is very good for them. all the building blocks for joints. Peer reviewed studies on benefits. No need to dry them and grind them as they are not her main source for calcium. View them more as a treat.

You feed 250 g of meat/organ combination with 2 chicken necks? how much weight do the necks account for?

Necks are very bony so when I feed them, I use them as not more than 40% of the total meal weight.

250g = 8 oz of meat per meal. assuming 10% of that 8oz is organ. so 7 oz meat, 1 oz organ
chicken necks typically weigh about 2-3 oz each. So 2 necks per meal are 4-6 oz. 

meat = 220g
organ = 30g
neck = 125-186g

Does that sound about right on your weights? If so, I think your proportions are fine but just be aware of them. If the neck weight is higher, you may want to do some figuring.

Heart is meat, not organ. But a vital ingredient.

The only thing I would suggest is to mix out the veges and meats to give her more variety and better balance. 

Sardines, mackerel, beef, meats native to your country, etc

Blueberries, celery (organically grown. store bought has very little nutrients), parsley, raspberries, broccoli, apples, squashes, etc.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I remember always hearing becareful for egg shells but now I hear they are very healthy to give to dogs. I did hear that unless you can get eggs fresh from a chicken not to feed the egg shell. As store bought eggs use chemicals to get disinfect and clean the shell of the egg whether organic or not. So I don't feed max the egg shell just the egg. Has anyone heard of this? I wonder if chemicals can leak through the shell. If so yikes - we are all eating these eggs or are the better if cooked? Our neighbors used to have chickens and fresh eggs used to taste so much different then store bought eggs. It may be a great reason to have some real chickens.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm sure whatever the U.S. uses to clean the eggs is IN the eggs. Cleaning the shells makes them porous thus the reason we have to refrigerate our eggs.

Farm raised eggs taste different because of what they eat. They forage, eat worms, grass, etc. Store eggs come from commerical farms where they are fed crap grain and corn. Same difference from grass fed beef from a butcher to beef bought at your local grocery store.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

These store bought eggs can't be very healthy even if organic. If they are using chlorine to clean them.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I have always bought cage free organic eggs thinking they were best for my family. Recently I heard about the egg shell cleaning. If this stuff is leaking into the eggs it can't be good. Maybe I will get real chickens. It is interesting how Europe does not clean their eggs and do not need to be refrigerated. 
http://www.healthextremist.com/are-you-eating-the-healthiest-eggs/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...to-buy-organic-eggs-at-the-grocery-store.aspx


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jenny720 said:


> I have always bought cage free organic eggs thinking they were best for my family. Recently I heard about the egg shell cleaning. If this stuff is leaking into the eggs it can't be good. Maybe I will get real chickens. It is interesting how Europe does not clean their eggs and do not need to be refrigerated.


they don't have to be refrigerated if they aren't cleaned. Eggs have a waxy coating that seals them. They can last weeks without refrigeration. Think about how long it takes for an egg to incubate


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Jax08 said:


> Jenny720 said:
> 
> 
> > I have always bought cage free organic eggs thinking they were best for my family. Recently I heard about the egg shell cleaning. If this stuff is leaking into the eggs it can't be good. Maybe I will get real chickens. It is interesting how Europe does not clean their eggs and do not need to be refrigerated.
> ...


 I just find it interesting that Europe does not clean their eggs and refrigerate them but USA infuses them with chemicals to refrigerate as with most of the food.


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