Calcium Question

[coach723]

I have Citracal petites (because that's what I could find when I bought them). Each serving contains 400mg of calcium, 12.5 mcg (500 IU) of vitamin D3, 5 mg of sodium. Each serving is 2 caplets, so 200 mg per caplet. So 3 needed for 600 mg, 4 needed for 800 mg. I've used them and found them helpful, but just one caplet isn't enough.

Being a person with a million allergies and sensitivities, I spend a large portion of time reading labels. Even of things I've bought before. I find things changed all the time on labels, you can never be sure you are getting the same thing as before, unless you check every, single, time. I have even contacted companies on occasion, because they change formulations and don't indicate anything on the main label, and you wouldn't know if you don't read the entire label and ingredients. 99.9 % of the time, they don't care. User beware. I even bought a product I'd been using for years, removed it from the box and tossed the box. Had a reaction, nothing was on the container of the actual product, all information was on the box. Had to dig it out of the trash to check. Contacted the company to no avail. They changed formula "based on supply chain issues". You can never assume anything any more.

 

[azygous]

In the research I did last night instead of sleeping, and I'm not kidding I didn't sleep, said that new labeling regulations for supplements came out in May of 2016, and still the public is not adequately informed so as to easily be able to find out how much of it they should take or may be taking when they take a pill. It's always the same question, who does our government really serve?

In my thread, I concluded that I should be recommending to people who wish to treat a hen with a reproductive issue to give 300mg of calcium citrate. But just telling people the amount of that supplement that I've found works isn't enough. The labels are so misleading that I feel I am going to need to write a manual when I help someone on a thread from now on.

After I get some sleep maybe I can figure out how to go from here.

 

[KClivlaughlove]

Is she still alive. I had a problem similar with my chicken a year ago. It was sick for 2 days and the 3rd she was gone. But she wasn’t the healthiest hen having featherless neck due to our dog always fighting her. And I was pretty much the only one looking after her. So she was unhealthy.

She is still alive. Doing much better, thanks to the people here that have gracefully offered their assistance and my many hours of research!

 

[KClivlaughlove]

In the research I did last night instead of sleeping, and I'm not kidding I didn't sleep, said that new labeling regulations for supplements came out in May of 2016, and still the public is not adequately informed so as to easily be able to find out how much of it they should take or may be taking when they take a pill. It's always the same question, who does our government really serve?

In my thread, I concluded that I should be recommending to people who wish to treat a hen with a reproductive issue to give 300mg of calcium citrate. But just telling people the amount of that supplement that I've found works isn't enough. The labels are so misleading that I feel I am going to need to write a manual when I help someone on a thread from now on.

After I get some sleep maybe I can figure out how to go from here.

I apologize for my own misunderstanding...I simply wanted to confirm with you per the brand I chose and yes, very misleading. One says give 600 mg in a serving, and a bottle says 2 tablets equal a serving therefore making one think 2 tablets is what is necessary to reach the 600 mg.... But I'm very very sorry for causing you no sleep last night! That was never my intention. My ONLY intention was to be sure to give my girl the amount she needed.
I'm going to call the number in the bottle and give them a piece of my mind over this!

 

[KClivlaughlove]

YIKES that is wildly incorrect. If the bottle says a serving is 630 and is two pills, each pill is 315. Now, if the label says one serving is 300% of your daily need of calcium, then yes, the serving itself is probably an oversell for a human looking to supplement their calcium.

So wait, now I'm really confused... With daily suggestions & amount per serving per enrages aside entirely.
Looking at the front states 630mg ”per serving” (not per tablet), and the back clearly states a serving requires 2 tablets. (See attachments), I'm back to the same question... Do I give her 1 tablet or 2 tablets too equal the 630mg she needs (if I am understanding she needs 600+mg daily, or does she need 300+mg daily then?)

 

[azygous]

Please @KClivlaughlove don't feel badly about this. You actually did everyone a service by bringing this to our attention. I take seriously the responsibility to provide accurate information. We all know how rife the internet is with the irresponsible spread of misinformation. That's why I could sleep. My sense of responsibility wouldn't let me.

I'm also of the age where my brain looks for any excuse at bedtime to wind up and make sleep impossible. I have them regularly in spite of a thread posting on BYC.

I just wish supplement manufacturers would take their responsibilities to their customers more seriously.

I noticed one more thing about Equate (Walmart store brand) Calcium citrate, They have a disclaimer in the tiniest print possible that states that it is not a product of Bayer which makes Citrical. China has full freedom to formulate this product any way they choose. If you compare them, they are not alike. I am going to quit buying it and buy the Bayer product instead in spite of the heftier price. I will quit recommending the Equate brand of calcium citrate as well.

 

[azygous]

Give one tablet for a chicken "serving".

 

[KClivlaughlove]

If I may, I read that it would take 2 tablets to equal 630mg as well.

I believe I've been reading my bottles wrong!! I grabbed my bottle of Equate Calcium Citrate and it also says 630mg PER SERVING!!
On the back a "SERVING" is 2 tablets, so this means that only 1tablet would equal 315mg Calcium Carbonate.
So I looked at Vitamin E I usually recommend to folks - "1 Serving/Softgel" is 400IU (180mg), so I think we must look at how many tablets are needed for each supplement we suggest.
I certainly think I've made a mistake in reading the labels, so I need to carefully go back through what I have and make corrections where needed. And of course, keep all these things in mind going forward, looking it up each time to make sure of the product info.

One good thing, it seems that most like me have given 1 Calcium tablet to a hen that was in crisis and it was helpful, so perhaps 315mg "extra" has been sufficient.



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So same question again then... Do I give her 1 tablet (315mg), or 2 (630mg) in the evenings?
I only have her 1 last night because of all this to be safe for her but at the same time I'm afraid I'm not going to be giving her sufficient amounts.

 

[KClivlaughlove]

Give one tablet for a chicken "serving".

So, 315mg correct?

 

[KClivlaughlove]

Okay, you are correct and so is our OP. Azygous is wrong.

But I learned something I didn't know before. Here's where I found this info. https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1980/index.htm. I scrolled down to the paragraph that says, "How to read the label on the supplement bottle". And it verifies exactly what both of you say.

So, the issue at hand remains what is the proper dosage for a hen in reproductive distress. And that remains one tablet from a bottle that states 600-630mg. We are being less than accurate in our directions to thread posters in telling them to use a 600mg tablet, but most people do not read labels, myself included (except to find out if there's milk in it that will set off my lactose intolerance). We are directing people to choose the calcium supplement that is at least 600mg, but we do specify to give one tablet per day.

I also read the link in this comment and found the following(see image).
So, to clarify... YES, ONLY 1 (ONE) 315MG CALCIUM TABLET IS NECESSARY FOR IN CRISIS SITUATIONS???