Now is the time to get eggshells ready for birds

 

Spring is coming soon, and with it lots of bird-mothers and then baby birds. Though the exact time varies with the bird species, now is the time to start getting their  ”vitamin-supplements” ready. That means broken-up eggshells

 The females consume broken-up eggshells for the calcium they provide. During the egg-laying season, female birds need to replace calcium lost in egg production, and have a “craving”. Eggshells are a great source of this important mineral. However, don’t just give them “straight” eggshells, they’re not healthy. The broken eggshells should be heated in an oven for ½ hour at about 350 degrees to kill off nasty stuff that might make the birds sick.  When they cool, break them up into tiny pieces (no bigger than a dime), and put them out in some sort of small dish.

Owen Yost, in addition to blogging, is a Landscape Architect emeritus from here, who‘s worked in north Texas for over 30 years.  He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Society of Landscape Architects, the National BirdFeeding Society, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award by the Native Plant Society of Texas. His design office is at northwestern68@yahoo.com