Short answer: yes.

Long answer: It’s more challenging to find data on the eggshell composition using eggshells from birds other than chicken.

With a little determination and digging, I’m sure you can find some.

For example, this California State Science Fair project reports that quail eggshells have the highest percentage of calcium carbonate, so I’d infer they would be another good option for eggshell powder.

While there are differences in the calcium levels of eggshells from various domestic birds, they appear to be relatively small. Variations look like 63%, 69%, etc. They don’t seem to be drastically different.

But to know for sure, you’ll need the data.

With all this said, if you’re looking to experiment, be mindful that recommendations on how much to feed (and all of this information) are based on chicken eggshell powder.

"Can Eggshell Powder Be Made with Eggs Other Than Chicken Eggs?"

Sure.

We’re already boiling eggshells for 5 minutes.

So, if you kept the egg in its shell and boiled it for five minutes, that’s technically a soft-boiled egg. And a hard-boiled egg  usually takes 7-9 minutes.

The point is it doesn’t change much.

If you eat soft or hard-boiled eggs regularly, feel free to save the shells to use for eggshell powder.

"Can I Make this with Hard Boiled Eggshells?"

I wouldn’t recommend it.

As mentioned earlier, feeding a commercially prepared, complete-and-balanced food (raw, cooked, or processed) should already be formulated to meet your dog’s calcium needs.

Whether processed pet foods are truly balanced and whether the synthetic vitamins/minerals that are often included are as effective as naturally derived supplements is a long discussion for another time.

Regardless, adding more calcium to dog food formulated to meet calcium requirements can throw that food out of balance.

Eggshell powder is better suited to supplement DIY raw dog food diets.

"Can I Add Eggshells to Kibble?"

It’s hard to say with certainty since arguments for both viewpoints have been made. In my research, I’ve read that boiling is ineffective unless you can boil and rinse several times because pesticides are water soluble, so boiling won’t do much more than washing. Because pesticides are complex organic molecules, breaking down all pesticides would require prolonged exposure to temperatures over 200 degrees.

But I’ve also read it can be effective. This study, in particular measures the effects of cooking on residue concentrations of pesticides in rice. In this study, pesticide residues decreased by 20-100% through boiling and steaming.

The takeaway is that boiling is likely to remove some pesticides but probably not all traces.

"Does Boiling Destroy Pesticides?"

My answer will always be the same, the highest quality you can comfortably afford.

Eggshells from conventionally raised chicken are fine to use. In fact, it’s what a majority of the research in this article is based on.

If free-range, organic, etc., is out of your budget, don’t let anyone scare you away from “regular” eggs. They will still be effective calcium supplements.

If anything, the research points to conventionally raised eggs having higher calcium content.

"What Quality of Eggs Should I Use for Eggshell Powder?"

Like anything else – natural calcium supplements can potentially contain toxic metals like lead, aluminum, cadmium, and mercury.

The good news is that the amount of potentially toxic elements in eggshells tends to be lower than in other natural calcium sources, such as oyster shells [sources 1 and 2].

This is also why buying quality eggs is important. See FAQ below.

"I Heard Calcium Supplements Contain Toxic Metals"

Some of you may be worried about feeding eggshells because you’re concerned about pesticides on eggshells, and you’ve heard boiling won’t destroy them.

Valid concern.

This is a two-part answer.

First, does boiling destroy pesticides?

now for the second part of the answer, pesticides in eggshells:

You won’t have to worry about pesticides as much if you buy certified USDA organic eggs, as these products are produced without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers.

If you buy eggs that are not organic, traces of antibiotics, pesticides, and other chemicals used in raising factory-farmed chickens could be present in eggshells. Most pesticides that enter chickens come from the chemically-treated feed they eat. Sometimes, chemicals are directly applied to chickens to protect against pests, leading to their absorption through the skin or inhalation.

But it’s not a perfect system.

Chickens that don’t eat feed with pesticides or have it applied to their bodies, like chickens raised organically, could still come in contact with pesticides if the land they roam is treated with pesticides.

Plus, mother nature spreads chemicals. Perhaps the farm you buy eggs from is chemical-free, but the neighboring farm may not be, and the wind can and does spread pesticides.

The point: complete avoidance is not possible.

Regardless of how it happened, chickens exposed to pesticides then excrete the residues of these pesticides in their eggs. The amount of that residue depends on the type of pesticide.

But with that said, many of these types of chemical pesticides (like organochlorines) tend to concentrate in body fats and, according to studies on this matter, “typically accumulate in fatty tissues,” in which case I’d be more concerned about these residues in the egg itself, not the shell which is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate crystals.

So, don’t let this scare you away from eggshell powder, organic or not.

The biggest concern with eggshell powder is contamination with bacteria, such as Salmonella, and we get rid of this threat by boiling or baking.

Remember, we live in a toxic world, and 100% avoiding chemicals is impossible. Buy the best quality eggs you can afford, rinse the shells, and boil them and you’re doing a lot to remove chemical residue that may be present.

A Word of advice:

Try not to take an “all or nothing” approach to your dog’s nutrition. Being overly fearful or skeptical of ingredients to avoid all chemicals (which isn’t possible) can cause you to miss out on all the potential nutrition locked in certain foods that could benefit your dog.

Do your research, weigh the pros and cons, and then move on.

In my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons. Eggshell powder is safe for humans and dogs.