Originally Posted by
farscott
Chickens need calcium in the diet to produce hard shells. Some feeds have more calcium.
We give our chickens pumpkins as the fiber is a natural wormer. The only thing left is the rind. Cornbread with cayenne pepper is also a good wormer. In the summer, we toss watermelons out to them. Keeps them hydrated and a bit cooler.
We do not waste much food as what we do not eat the chickens typically do. The gristle from steaks, leftover veggies, extra biscuits -- it all goes to the chickens as supplements to their usual feed. The eggs we get have very hard shells and the yolks are a deep orange, not a pale yellow.