Should I put oyster shell and grit in my hens food?

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Personally I would never mix either oyster shell or grit with their food. If it is offered, it is always on the side so they have a choice. Chickens pretty well know by instinct what they need. If they have a choice, they will decide for themselves how much they need. I don't have a clue how much they need. How much would I give them?

Whether you need to offer either depends on your specific situation. If they have access to the ground, they are probably finding their own grit. It doesn't hurt to offer some. They might or might not use it. If they do not have access to the ground, you should offer grit. I usually scrape up sand and small pebbles from my gravel driveway to get stuff to use as grit. Grown hens will use pieces as big as a green pea and smaller.

The oyster shell is used to give supplemental calcium for their egg shells for laying hens. They may be getting all the calcium they need from their other food. If you feed Layer, it has extra calcium already provided. If Layer is all they eat, they should be getting enough calcium from that so you don't need to offer anything. If they eat other things, they may need the extra calcium.

But then again, they may not. It depends on what they are eating. Many weeds and bugs have calcium in them. Several "treats" from the garden are rich calcium sources. If you live in limestone country where some of the rocks they use as grit are limestone, they may be getting all they need from that. We are all different and keep them in different circumstances.

You can let your egg shells tell you. If the egg shells are thin and soft, they need more calcium. If they are hard and thick, they are getting enough calcium from somewhere. I think it is a good idea to offer oyster shell on the side regardless so they can use it if they wish. Their instincts are pretty good about them being able to make that decision for themselves. If they are getting enough calcium from other sources, that oyster shell will last a real long time. If they need it, it will disappear.

But mixing oyster shell with their food? Why would I want to force them to eat something that they might not need and that their body has to work extra hard to get rid of the excess when the easy solution is to just offer it on the side?
 
I was having problems with one or more of my hens laying soft eggs until I started putting crushed oyster shells in with their feed. The free choice method just wasn't getting it done. Since then, no problems with soft eggs. I can't imagine that a chicken will eat something in their feeder if they don't want it, just b/c it's in there, and I don't feel like I'm forcing anything on them. If they kick the oyster shells out of the feeder, I'll just put in more next time I fill it up. I'm not talking about a huge amount of oyster shells, either.
 
I have had to do what MarieNC does. If I don't mix it in, the eggshells are too thin.

I mix my grit and oyster shell in the bucket I carry out to them each day, so that it isn't too labor intensive (not having to mix it into a large quantity of feed).
 
Layer has always done well for us, but I now have pullets and chicks so no more layer, I have been feeding them grower and now the best stuff I have found yet... Scratch and grow grower. The shells of my birds are very nice, so I attribute it to all the yogert they get. We feed them hearts of romaine daily also . My pullets are 19 weeks ,my chicks are 9 weeks, so far everyone seems to get enough calcium ( the big birds and pullets ) we got a first time egg today from a pullet 19 weeks yay! My birds do not touch the oyster Shell ,never have.
 
I provide my oyster free choice but it can be feed either way...as stated above they will eat around it if not desired...you definately need grit if they have any access to free range or a enclpsed run as they are consuming bugs and grass and need something to grind it uo... If they are cooped up and not allowed tofree range then grit is not required cause they would only be consuming the layer mash
 
I screwed two of the chick feeders with the oval holes in them onto the wall in my coop. They are plastic, and open, so I can fill them. I simple attached them with screws and washers. One is filled with grit, and one has the shell in it. They are eating it, and I have no issues with soft shells.
 
I was just wondering if you have to mix it in WITH the food or if having it out in a seprate container or whatever is alright as well?
 
Question: if you mix it in the food, how do you know how much to put in there? The only reason I keep it separate is because I don't know how much to mix in.
 
galefrances said:
Question: if you mix it in the food, how do you know how much to put in there? The only reason I keep it separate is because I don't know how much to mix in.
Click to expand...

http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/croysh5lb.html
1 lb per 20 lbs feed is what this says

http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/pogr5lb.html
1lb with 40 lb feed

http://www.lionsgrip.com/recipes.html
this is a fun website


http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s12.html
and this one

Honestly I just eyeball it now. I tried to calculate it all and used to weigh everything. Now I just estimate. I put a small scoop of grit in a large bucket and a larger scoop of oyster shell in the large bucket. They leave it if they don't want it, and I back off the next time.
 

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