Does anyone add egg shells to their plants? From experience, is it better to grind them or put them on just crushed by hand?

The smaller the pieces, the better. It just decomposes quicker and easier.

I put the egg shells in the compost bin but not directly in potting soil. The only kitchen refuse that I add directly to the soil is coffee grounds.

Warning: If you are squeamish, don't look at the photos, thank you.

I also add the eggshells to the compost. I do not crush them as I find them full of small earthworms. Eventually the eggshells break down and become part of the finished compost.

Nice, red wrigglers you have there. I good sign of compost health.

When I lived in Utah, I did the same, added the eggshells to the compost. Here in FL, we have seashells in the soil naturally, so it doesn't need the calcium component added by eggshells. I did it for a while, but found the compost smelled a lot better and attracted less unwanted 'attention' from the raccoons etc. if I left them out.

As far as adding them directly to a plant, I would think they might smell a bit unless you scrubbed them out to remove all the egg protein residue.

Some people crush them & sprinkle them around their plants as a deterrent to slugs & snails.

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I read somewhere that you can crush the shells and bake them on a cookie sheet (why? maybe to keep them from smelling? I dont know) and then put them outside in the spring and the birds use them. I don't know what they do with them lol, just read that they use the shells. Maybe they eat them for the calcium while they are developing eggs?

Yes! The birds can also use them for digestion.

Well, now that you mention other uses for eggshelss, you can wash the egg shells, cook them in a low oven without allowing them to burn, crush and pulverize them in a blender and feed them to the dogs to add calcium to their diet. Yes, you can also toss some to the chickens and the wild birds will help themselves.

I always put them around Tomatoes for calcium to avoid blossom end rot.