Do need to feed both layer and Oyster Shell?

[Ol Grey Mare]

I fed my hens 18% layer pellets and still got the occasional thin shelled egg that cracks if you touch it. I'm confused as to how I still had this problem even though the pellets have calcium in them. Responses are appreciated.

Occasional shell issues are not always related to calcium deficiency - there are lots of glitches that can take place which result in an off day in the shell gland. That being said, one thing you can do to assure proper calcium intake is to offer oyster shell in addition to the calcium offered by the layer ration. This will not fix any issues that are being caused by something other than calcium intake, but it can help you to eliminate that as the possible cause for the problem shells.

 

[DrMikelleRoeder]

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We recommend switching to a complete layer feed at 18-20 weeks of age. Given that your birds are already 8 months old, they are ready to be transitioned to a layer feed. To help ease the transition, consider mixing your current grower crumble with the new layer crumble feed so your birds get used to the new taste. Once they have fully transitioned to the layer feed and it makes up at least 90% of the total diet, you should be able to discontinue supplementing the oyster shell (no harm if you keep supplementing, though). Depending on where you are located, you may consider waiting until the weather stabilizes so that you don’t stress your birds out with the nutrition change. This should help keep your ladies happy and healthy through this transition period. For more information on selecting the right chicken feed for your flock, check out this article on our website: http://purinamills.com/animal-nutri...ting-the-right-chicken-feed-for-your-type-of/ Let us know how the transition goes! We’d love to hear about your experience.

 

[DrMikelleRoeder]

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Hmm. Relatively speaking, the occasional thin-shelled egg is normal. But if you are noticing a trend that your egg shells are lacking strength, a few things come to mind: 1. Nutrition At least 90% of your layers’ total diet should be the complete layer feed. Extra grains, treats or scraps can dilute the balanced nutrition of the layer feed and may leave the birds subclinically deficient in several nutrients, especially calcium. Balanced nutrition can also help maintain adequate bird body condition. Birds that are overweight or underweight are known to produce lower quality eggs and can even stop production all together. 2. Bird breed and age It is not uncommon for high-producing breeds to produce an occasional soft egg. This happens because they can produce eggs faster than the actual shelling process. It usually takes 24 hours for an egg to be developed; every now and then, high-producing breeds can actually produce an egg in less than 24 hours, which can result in a soft-shelled egg. Older birds are also known to be culprits for soft egg shells. As chickens near the end of their productive years (4-5 years old), they become less efficient at converting nutrition to high quality eggs. Also, their eggs tend to get larger but are covered with the same amount of calcified shell, meaning the shell must be thinner. If you have an older flock, you may want to think about introducing some younger birds to make sure you are collecting plenty of quality eggs. 3. Other thoughts Individual birds may occasionally have shell-gland issues, or a bird low in the dominance ranking may not get quite enough to eat, particularly during cold weather when birds ramp up their intake to help stay warm. These issues can contribute to the occasional shell quality issue. Hope this helps!

 

[Ballerina Bird]

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Thank you for this detailed and helpful response! I am in northern California, so the weather is pretty calm. I have just started mixing a layer crumble into the grower crumble that I have left in order to help them make the transition. Thanks again.

 

[Tchap]

I really hope someone can help me. What if my feed already contains "oyster shell supplement" in it? Should I then still give my hens more oyster shells?

 

[bigt447]

I still provide mine a separate container of oyster shells as they will only eat it if needed. I live on the northern coast of Florida and can get locally ground shells for $2.50 for 10 lbs.

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

I really hope someone can help me. What if my feed already contains "oyster shell supplement" in it? Should I then still give my hens more oyster shells?

If you feed a complete feed like Purina

Layena

with Oyster Strong

System you do not need to supplement with oyster shell, since it’s already in their feed. The only occasion you may need to provide supplemental oyster shell would be in the hot summer months when feed intake is low. When it is very hot, birds tend to eat less feed. In this case, the amount of calcium that they are consuming may not be sufficient to support egg production.
Learn more at www.oysterstrong.com.

 

[Mlogrono]

When raising multiple ages and feeding grower how do I provide oyster shells... Just in a second feeder or scattered on the ground? It doesn't seem like they're eating much. I just brought them home Saturday and the one hen old enough has only laid one egg. Previous owner error said she was probably in her last season...

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I just toss a few handfuls (depending how many layers you have) once a week. By shell thickness you'll know to use more or less. I don't use a layer feed ever. Entire flock is on non medicated crumbles when raising chicks then entire flock is on turkey finisher pellets when youngest bird are 10-ish weeks old.

 

[Mlogrono]

The only layer I have is an older bird. We just got the chickens on Saturday and she has only laid once since then. It's also seriously hot (I'm in texas) so that may also be a problem. Chickens in general are new to me so I'm winging it.... Forgive the pun