Substitute for Oyster Shell

I am very allergic to oysters and was wondering if there is a substitute for oyster shell besides egg shells. Thanks!

The credit for this goes to BYC member, Imp:

Here are some good sources of calcium:

1.Spinach
2.Turnip greens
3.Mustard greens
4.Collard greens
5.Blackstrap molasses
6.Swiss chard
7.Yogurt
8.Kale
9.Mozzarella cheese
10.Milk (goat's milk and cow's milk)
11.Basil, thyme, dill seed, cinnamon, and peppermint leaves
12.Romaine lettuce
13.Rhubarb
14.
15.Broccoli
16.Sesame seeds
17.Fennel
18.Cabbage
19.Summer squash
20.Green beans
21.Garlic
22.Tofu
23.Brussel sprouts
24.Oranges
25.Asparagus
26.Crimini mushrooms

Be aware that molasses can cause diarrhea in chickens, garlic can flavor eggs, and some people do not feed their chickens oranges.

Awesome Thank You!

I think someone has posted something about a manufactured calcium supplement for chickens, but, unfortunately I don't know what it is or what the source of that calcium is.

High grade limestone is a suitable substitute. It is commonly used for industrial layer hens rather than oyster shell.

The oyster shells packaged for sale to the poultry industry are (or were, a few years ago) derived from beds of fossilized oyster shells off the coast of the Carolinas and Georgis. They dredge them up at sea rather than collecting them from fish markets on the Cheapeake Bay or where ever. I doubt that there is anything left in those fossilz that would cause you concern. Certainly not after it had gone thru a hen.

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Great list! Thank you.

Quote:
Great list! Thank you.

I'm thrilled to see this list because my young chickens go NUTS over spinach. I feed it to them every day, along with their normal ration. I have been planning to buy some oyster as my pullets will be of laying age in another month...but for now I prefer giving them spinach. They also eat mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens and kale but they don't go crazy for anything the way they do for fresh spinach leaves.

Great list! Mine get collard greens because they are often in the sale bin at local groc store; got spinach too! I just toss it around their run and they stay busy pecking the leaves into bite size pieces!

Neil Grassbaugh said:

High grade limestone is a suitable substitute. It is commonly used for industrial layer hens rather than oyster shell.

The oyster shells packaged for sale to the poultry industry are (or were, a few years ago) derived from beds of fossilized oyster shells off the coast of the Carolinas and Georgis. They dredge them up at sea rather than collecting them from fish markets on the Cheapeake Bay or where ever. I doubt that there is anything left in those fossilz that would cause you concern. Certainly not after it had gone thru a hen.

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Actually it can and does, if allergy is bad enough. We were using a recommended brand until I got ill. My son started doing the feedings and happened to read the bag and in small print it says "oyster shell." For 2 months I had been breathing in the dust from the crumble we were using and gradually getting sick. Doctors couldn't figure it out and it never dawned on me to check their feed. Stopped that feed and got one that doesn't have oyster shell in it. I'm all better and I can eat their eggs. So for those like me I'm so happy they asked and got good answers.

Neil Grassbaugh said:

High grade limestone is a suitable substitute. It is commonly used for industrial layer hens rather than oyster shell.

The oyster shells packaged for sale to the poultry industry are (or were, a few years ago) derived from beds of fossilized oyster shells off the coast of the Carolinas and Georgis. They dredge them up at sea rather than collecting them from fish markets on the Cheapeake Bay or where ever. I doubt that there is anything left in those fossilz that would cause you concern. Certainly not after it had gone thru a hen.

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Any good commercial laying pellet has sufficient calcium for eggshell formation. The certified information tag on the feed bag may say "limestone" or "calcium carbonate" instead of oyster shell. You can also substitute chick or hen sized granite or marble grit in place of oystershell. Most granite is 30-35% or so limestone and marble is a very hard and almost 100% pure unadulterated form of limestone rock, (the fossilized shells of wee tiny sea creatures) that has been compressed under a LOT of heat beneath the Earth's crust for a very long time? Go with Neil Grassbaugh's post. I forget how much or what percent of the Earth's crust is limestone or fossilized sea creatures but it is a significant chunk of the terraferma that you and I both are currently standing or sitting on.

I highly suspect that by the time you fed your hens enough things like asparagus to fulfill their calcium requirements that they would be too malnourished (read this as dead from malnutrition) for you to ever again need to worry about them laying soft or weak shelled eggs.