Let the eggshells settle after grinding. They create a lot of "dust."Thank you Ritz. That helps a lot. I haven't a coffee grinder but I do have a magic bullet that grinds nicely.
I think making the meat by the pound makes measuring the eggshell powder easier.
Thanks again,.
I've looked off and on for the official 'receipe' for egg shells and can't seem to come up with it. But from when I was considering feeding Ritz egg shells instead of bone this is what I remember:
You clean the shells very well, removing the membrane. And then dry very very thoroughly. Did I emphasize 'thoroughly'. You so do not want moldy egg shell.
Then you grind the shells into a powder--a coffee grinder used solely for this purpose is purfect.
It is important that you grind whatever shells you can buy (egg, quail, duck) because different sizes of egg produce different amounts of powder.
In so far as amount, it's around Post 1 of this thread, compliments of LDG:
"For eggshell, 1/32 teaspoon of powder balances one ounce of meat; 3/64 teaspoon balances one ounce of organs. For batches, this means that 1/2 teaspoon balances one pound of meat and 3/4 of a teaspoon balances one pound of organs."
By the way you can buy nifty measuring spoons on Amazon.
Tad - 1/8th teaspoon
Dash - 1/16th teaspoon (or less than 1/8th teaspoon)
Pinch - 1/16th teaspoon (or 1/24th teaspoon)
Smidgen (smidge, for short) - 1/32nd teaspoon (or 1/48th teaspoon)
Drop - 1/60th teaspoon (or 1/80th teaspoon or 1/120th teaspoon)
Hint - a trace
Thank you so much!! This is great. Have you tried supplementing with eggshell powder as well? If so, do your cats show a preference for either one of them (eggshell or MCHA)?
Thanks again,
Ezequiel
It will depend on how finely ground the eggshell is. The product a lot of people at TCS use is from the KnowWhatYouFeed website and is finely ground and is 6.1 grams per teaspoon.
Hi to everyone,
I came across the cat site while looking for info on how much calcium to use when I feed meat and organs without bones(beef,lamb).The tables on this thread are very useful,but the problem for me is that I don't have access to the measuring spoons you are referring to when using eggshells.I can only calculate in grams.So,if it's possible and not too much to ask,can someone tell me the quantities in grams?
Thanks a lot mschauer.
It will depend on how finely ground the eggshell is. The product a lot of people at TCS use is from the KnowWhatYouFeed website and is finely ground and is 6.1 grams per teaspoon.
The 80/10/10 guidelines refer to the diet being 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% organs. Those percentages are all by weight. If you use eggshell as your calcium source rather than bone then you shouldn't use the 80/10/10 guidelines. The amount of eggshell needed to provide the required amount of calcium would weight a lot less than the amount of bone required so the meat and organ percentages would change. It doesn't take much eggshell to provide the needed calcium so using 85 % meat, 15% organs plus eggshell should be good.this is so confusing.
Who can clarify this for me.
Per-feeding I have 80/10/10 50grams of which is protein. how do i calculate how much eggshell to give.
will giving more be bad?
Chunks. I have added lysine. If I go for 85% 15% how much egg shell am I required to give.The 80/10/10 guidelines refer to the diet being 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% organs. Those percentages are all by weight. If you use eggshell as your calcium source rather than bone then you shouldn't use the 80/10/10 guidelines. The amount of eggshell needed to provide the required amount of calcium would weight a lot less than the amount of bone required so the meat and organ percentages would change. It doesn't take much eggshell to provide the needed calcium so using 85 % meat, 15% organs plus eggshell should be good.
I don't follow the 80/10/10 guidelines. Hopefully someone who does and who also uses eggshell will post how much they use.
Exactly what are you feeding? Just meat and organs with no supplements other than the eggshell you are trying to add? Are the meat and organs in chunks or ground?
The charts given in post #1 of this thread show how much eggshell you need depending on the what meats and organs you use.Chunks. I have added lysine. If I go for 85% 15% how much egg shell am I required to give.
Kind of confused on how to calculate how much I need.