Bone Meal

[greyfields]

The issue with egg shells is that feeding them can encourage some birds to become egg eaters. Once you get an egg eater in your flock, it tends to spread.

By the way, for fertilizer, bone meal in addition to the calcium is used as the primary phosphorus source. Phosphorous is required in a chicken's diet in order for them to be able to absorb and use dietary calcium. If you have an extra spot in your mineral feeder, some suggest providing free choice phosphorous to your laying hens so that the calcium you are providing is sure to do its part.

So, I would say, yes bone meal is a good thing to include. I'd leave it out free choice rather than mixing it into their feed, though.

 

[speckledhen]

As far as eggshells go, it takes several to equal the calcium in a much smaller amt of oyster shell, but you can feed eggshells just fine without them becoming egg eaters as long as they dont see them as eggs.
I've said this so many times and hate to bore anyone who's already heard it, but we just throw shells in a container by the stovetop as they're used. When it's full, we put them on a cookie sheet and bake them at a low temp, maybe 200 degrees, for only about 30 minutes then turn it off and allow them to cool. After that, the shells are very brittle and easy to crush and no longer gooey, plus any bacteria from sitting is killed.
I've done it ever since I had chickens and have never had an egg eater-I only once saw a young pullet taste one that had broken on the ground (long story-I have one pullet who drops hers on the ground outside sometimes and this one happened to break on a rock)

 

[PaulSchwimmer]

Absolutely DO NOT feed your chickens Bone Meal from the Garden Shop! It contains fertilizers that are poisonous to your chickens, dogs, cats any animals. You can make your own Bone Meal however, by grinding up eggs shells, chicken bones or bovine bones (Cows, Lamb, Squirrels etc.). I thought the same thing until I researched this. I also ferment my chickens feed and their doing awesome. I also ferment my dogs food and they can't get enough of it. I essentially throw everything in their fermenting container and let Nature do the rest.

 

[chicklover 1998]

It's fine as long as it isn't garden grade and welcome to BYC Paul

 

[Chris09]

Absolutely DO NOT feed your chickens Bone Meal from the Garden Shop! It contains fertilizers that are poisonous to your chickens, dogs, cats any animals. You can make your own Bone Meal however, by grinding up eggs shells, chicken bones or bovine bones (Cows, Lamb, Squirrels etc.). I thought the same thing until I researched this. I also ferment my chickens feed and their doing awesome. I also ferment my dogs food and they can't get enough of it. I essentially throw everything in their fermenting container and let Nature do the rest.

First this thread is 9 years old.

Second if the bag stated Bone Meal and only states Bone Meal in the list of ingredients than that is all that is in that bag, there are no other ingredients and definitely no "fertilizers".

Now Sheep and Squirrels are not Bovine.
Bovine are Cattle.

 

[stepgates]

Can you mix the bone meal as a dust bath like you would DE

 

[Ascholten]

Sorry to resurrect an old topic but...

The reason I came here is I put pure bone meal in my plants, yes it's fertilizer from the plant store, and it is pure, nothing else listed in ingredients. The chickens dig it up, bust up the clumps and are eating it. I shoo them away, throw stuff at them and they still go back to it. I was worried about them getting sick off it so did a google search, and here I am.

For what it's worth, they seem to be seeking it out so maybe it's beneficial to them? Also FYI I also give them better grade feed, calcium from shells, and all the other stuff to keep them nice and healthy. I have not seen any adverse affects from them eating it.

For the chap worried about fertilizers and chemicals in it if it came from the plant store. If it says it has stuff on the label, then yes, don't use it, but if it's pure, then no need to panic over other chemicals. Some of those other chemicals are fairly expensive comparatively, so they are not likely to throw them in there and NOT charge you for them, hence they'd have to tell you they are in there.

Also, on that thought, if it DID have phosphates and chemicals in it, wouldn't they smell it and not go after it? Yes of course if you mixed it with their food then BAD, but if it was bad stuff laying in a pot or on the ground, would they still run after it and eat it? I don't see them trying to eat miracle grow I put down. Not that I want to try, but just curious.

If it is good for them, then should it be mixed in food and in what quantity or just left as a side dish like the sea shell calcium is?

Thank you in advance.
Aaron

 

[webo]

Quote:

I'm not Diana, but can answer your question. Many feeds today are "marketed" as free of meat and bone meal because of the mad cow scare. That is how the disease was spread in Europe. Infected animals were rendered into meat and bone meal which was then fed to others resulting in spread of the disease.
Bone meal is not a good source of protein but is a good source of calcium supplementation.

http://www.ingredients101.com/bmsteamed.htm

can i ask why its not a good source of proteines .actually its the richest thing of proteines

 

[Ascholten]

Perhaps its a form of protein that is not broken down very easily or very usable by the body?

Aaron