It’s no surprise that you have always had bins full of chicken, duck, and quail eggshells. I don’t know about others, but I make a schedule to crush or grind the shells.
Besides, I have to keep some intact for various purposes.
Once you learn the uses of eggshells, you won’t throw them away ever.
1. Add Eggshells to Compost
Do you know eggshells are rich in calcium and minerals, which help aerate and improve the soil?
So, you can use this as an organic compost.
As eggshells break down, dry them and crush them into tiny pieces or powder before adding them to the compost pile.
They won’t show the immediate effect like chemical or condensed fertilizer on the houseplants and vegetables in the backyard.
But they have a long-term effect, which helps grow an organic garden.
2. Use Eggshells as a Natural Calcium Supplement for Chickens
How about chicken eggshells going back to them?
Yes, you may have witnessed some chickens pecking and gulping their own feathers. Mostly, they swallow the bottom feathers and sometimes the wings.
Besides, chickens eat their own eggs when they feel a craving for calcium.
So, I wash their eggshells, dry them, and sometimes bake them (but you don’t have to), and finally crush them.
Remember, your birds won’t break the shells and eat the whole shells. Also, they can’t peck the shell powder. So, tiny pieces are okay.
You can also feed other homestead animals eggshells to fulfil the calcium supplement.
3. Help Prevent Blossom End Rot
I often keep my metal bucket by the wood stove to collect eggshells. Then, I crush them down periodically.
Once the bucket is full, I dry the shells on the sheet tray atop the stove and grind them into powder in my old coffee grinder.
Then, while walking through the backyard garden, I mix this powder into the soil for planting peppers and tomatoes.
When planting, sprinkle the eggshells in the holes. So these crops are prone to blossom-end rot due to a lack of calcium.
Also, this eggshell powder helps prevent that blight.
4. Start Seeds in Eggshell Planters
Every year, I start my vegetables from seeds, but I don’t remember buying a seed starter in the last few years.
Either I plant my seeds in the egg carton cups or eggshells.
This helps you reduce waste, save money, and add nutrients to the soil.
Before sowing seeds, break the eggshell halves. Fill the shells halfway with seed-starting mix, then add the seeds.
Make sure the seeds are covered with dirt ot seeding starter mix.
When the seedlings grow a few pairs of leaves, you can transplant them to the raised beds.
5. Deter Certain Garden Pests
I wondered why my neighbor always had a mulch of eggshells around peppers and tomatoes in their garden. Now, I know why.
The crushed eggshells (a bit larger pieces that you make for your chickens).
The sharp edges of eggshells help deter bugs such as slugs, snails, cutworms, and other small pests.
The smell of the eggshells also prevents barn cats and deer from spoiling your garden produce.
You can sprinkle eggshell pieces around vegetables such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts to save your garden produce.
It will be a good strategy for a small garden, but it cannot work for a large farm.
6. Make Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
If you have kids in the house, this kitchen chemistry project can be a fun time for them.
You only need eggshells, flour, and water to make this one.
To start, combine eggshell powder, flour, and water in a bowl in a 3:1:1 ratio. Knit all things together until it makes a dry dough.
Then, you can add your favorite food color to the dough. Seven drops can be enough to give vibrant coloring.
Now, shape the dough into chunky sidewalk chalk sticks and air-dry them on the baking sheet for 2-3 days.
7. Add Eggshells to Vermicomposting Systems
Do you know eggshells can be a great feed for your worms in the vermicompost?
This helps them get calcium and acts as a pH buffer to keep the worm bin from getting too acidic.
So, you can see the worms processing food scraps faster.
8. DIY Homemade Cleaning Abrasive and Drains Cleaner
Crushed shells can be used as eco-friendly cleaning alternatives. They are tough and scratchy (but don’t worry, they don’t damage the surface).
The shells help scrub stubborn residue, grease, and grime, keeping pots, pans, and outdoor equipment clean.
To make a perfect cleaning abrasive solution, mix 1 cup of eggshell powder with 3 cups of baking soda and mix well.
You can also mix vinegar for an extra boost.
Also, if you have a hard time cleaning your drains, you can put this solution in and find a good flush of the clogged area.
9. Create Mineral-Rich Eggshell Tea for Plants
While you can make tea for plants using only eggshells, I recommend using banana peels.
To make this tea for your crops, place banana skins and crushed eggshells in a bowl or container, then pour water over them.
Make sure the banana skins and eggshells are under the surface, or let them steep to keep flies and bugs away.
Leave the mixture there for 2-3 days.
Then, you can put it into another container and compost it. Now you’re ready to dilute the plant tea to use.
You can apply it around the vegetable gardens, container plants, and flower beds.
10. Make Laundry Whitener & Candle Holder
This is an organic idea for green living.
Put the egg powder in the washing machine and check your clothes for any differences compared to regular detergent.
This not only removes dirt from the clothes but also whitens and brightens them.
Besides, you can make rustic decor with a candle holder from eggshells.
To make it, crack the top of the eggshells and rinse them under water. Put the cotton string in the middle and pour some wax there.
Now, you can enjoy the soft glow with the small DIY candle.
11. More Crafts
There are more ideas for scrambled eggs. You can decorate the shells to look like Easter eggs. And you can add fillings based on your choice, such as paper or leaf confetti, to create cascarones.
Also, you can keep the decorated shells around you without worrying about their smell (the rotten whole eggs sting so much).
Let me share the process with you!
Crack chicken or duck eggs by poking a small hole and allowing the yolk and white to drip out completely.
Then, air-dry the eggshells.
Next, you have to collect some flower petals and dry them. Fill each shell with a few petals. You can glue the opening or hole closed with a petal.
Final Thoughts
Uses of eggshells are real and help you get most of the free resources at homestead.
Apart from the list above, empty eggshells have so much to offer. Whether you want to take care of your livestock or grow your organic garden, the shells are all there to help you.
You can also try lots of creative and recreational DIY projects with the eggshells at home.
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