Calcium help & food

[ChickenCanoe]

So my girls have feed with Oystershell in it and extra Oystershell on the side for free ranging but their shells still are very thin and every once in a while soft they have been laying regular for 4 months what would you do?

Are you mixing the oystershell in the feed yourself or does the ingredient label list it as an ingredient?
Never mix anything with the feed or you'll be throwing off the balance of nutrients.
Thin egg shells aren't always due to a deficiency of calcium. Frequently it is from an imbalance of phosphorus to calcium. A vitamin D3 deficiency can also be suspect.
Salinity in the water, old hens, heat stress or mycotoxins (mold) can cause it as well.
No shells, among other things can also be from an imbalance of calcium, phosphorus, manganese and vitamin D3.
Inadequate D3 prevents absorption of calcium.
Excessive intake of either calcium or phosphorus inhibits the absorption of both.

I would go back to the basics. No scratch or treats. Just a complete layer feed with the oyster shell on the side.

 

[NewRenoNv]

No it's the layered feed with oyster shell

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So it is on the ingredient list?
It doesn't matter if OS is an ingredient, layer feed will have some source of calcium whether that be OS, limestone or something else to bring the % up to about 4.

 

[Judy925]

Cream of Wheat?

 

[NewRenoNv]

So limestone do you put that in feed or water or free feed it

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So limestone do you put that in feed or water or free feed it

Neither. You don't add it to anything.
I just meant that not all manufacturers use oyster shell as a calcium source. Many will use mineral sources to provide calcium.
If you read the ingredient label it will list what they use. Some just say calcium carbonate. That is probably processed from a mineral source. That could be calcite, vaterite, limestone, aragonite or others.
My point was that if you are feeding a complete layer feed, the balance of calcium to phosphorus is already correct. Adding more calcium can cause problems.
Feed companies are trying to achieve a ratio of nutrients. They don't all use the same ingredients but the goal is to get the basic amino acids, minerals, vitamins, fats and energy in the right percentages.