Feed supplements

[Dokdream]

My hens are going on one year. They are members of the family, and provide us, friends, and neighbors with such wonderful eggs and enjoyment. I am eager to do my best for them. I have been giving our fur babies a supplement of glucosamine, collagen, L-methamine, and MSM. It does enhance joint health. My family takes it too. I considered giving it to the hens and read up on the topic. It seems that others feel it helps their poultry, too. I am starting immediately. What I have been doing already is to recycle their egg shells. I will add this supplement to the mix. Here is what I do: After collecting a batch of shells, I put them in a bag and crush them to small bits with a rolling pin. Then I put them in a pot with a small amount of potassium or sodium hydroxide -- drain opener is a convenient source. I boil the mixture on low to medium heat. The proteinaceous material lining the inner shell is hydrolyzed by this treatment. It will foam up so a deep pot is advised. After a while, the foam breaks down to a minimal "scum" on the liquid surface. Then I deccant the liquid to sewer and rinse the shells several times to eliminate any residual alkali or organic residue. When the water is clear and non-bubbly, it is clean. (I could also test the rinse water for pH but haven't felt it was necessary.) I transfer the wet fragments to a pan to dry either naturally in open-air, in an oven, or on the stove top. When cool, I pour the fragments into a feeder with dry mealworms. The girls flock to the feeder, gobbling up the mealworms and taking up the calcium-rich shell fragments at the same time. They do discriminate between the worms and the shell, but appear to want the extra calcium as well. So far, so good. The eggs the girls produce appear to usually have normal thickness shells. There are no pathegens in the mix, and I haven't had to use the oyster shell supplement I bought when they were chicks.

 

[Perris]

or you could give them a piece of cheese. Much easier and safer.
eta real cheese of course, not ultra-processed slices of something else.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

sodium hydroxide --

Uh, really?!!! But why? Why go to all that trouble with risk involved? Or you are an amazing chemist and props to you. I feel not smart enough and not motivated enough to do this when I have options just as good, easier with zero risk. I have confused face, sorry.....

 

[Smokerbill]

I don't understand why you would strip the eggshells of the membrane and remaining egg white film with lye. The membrane contains nutrients, including collagen, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate. According to Wikipedia...

Eggshell membrane is primarily composed of fibrous proteins such as collagen type I.[3] Eggshell membranes also contain glycosaminoglycans, such as dermatan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and sulfated glycoproteins including hexosamines, such as glucosamine. Other components identified in eggshell membranes are hyaluronic acid, sialic acid, desmosine, isodesmosine, ovotransferrin, lysyl oxidase, lysozyme, and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggshell_membrane#:~:text=Eggshell membrane is primarily composed of fibrous proteins,and sulfated glycoproteins including hexosamines, such as glucosamine.

 

[Sundown Feathers]

I just purchased meely worms and want to know how many I should give the chickens. I have 3 about 22 weeks old. They just started laying recently and I have one that laid a soft shell and it broke. I think she had it while on the roost. I also think the other two are being a little mean to the smallest one. I am thinking about crushing up egg shells for the calcium but have not tried that yet. I just bought oyster shell today. I have them on layer feed also and finishing up chick grit. Just wondering about the worms and about cheese also.