Am I a bad chicken momma? I'm not giving them oyster...

[tuesdays chicks]

well really come to think of it, if they make a comment about your feed or coop again offer them some eggs

and give them a good chicken soup recipe for their roosters

 

[RM44]

Quote:
Super-fantastic awesome suggestion right there! If I had been smart enough to think of it, this is exactly what I'd do! LOL. Great suggestion!

 

[flowerfaerie1]

My hens just started laying last week. I went to the feed store and asked them if it was time for me to change the feed to either a combo that has layer and oyster or just get some oyster shell. The girl looked at me and asked, "Do your eggs need the extra calcium?" And I said that no, my eggs were fine. She said not to bother with it unless I needed it. I trust my feed store, so I'm going without. My girls free range all day and love to eat my swiss chard and lettuce that grows in the garden. I wonder if that provides the extra calcium? It kinda makes sense to me that if they are doing what they would do in the wild that they should be fine... It's not like crushed oyster shell is everywhere for a chicken to find naturally! LOL

 

[sheaviance1]

I totally have to disagree, I would offer to SELL them some eggs (they have enough to buy a heated, solar coop after all, they can afford to buy them, right?) Just sayin'.

By the way, just to throw this out there, chickens have lived on this big old earth without factory produced rations, supplemented oyster shell, etc. etc. for EONS. I feed my chickens layer crumbles, and they BEG me to get out the their run so that they can free-range. I haven't had a soft egg yet, so they must know what they are doing far better than I do. They seem to have no problems filling their nutritional needs. If they should start having issues, then I will do whatever it is I need to do. With that being said, we have domesticated them, so it is our responsibility to take care of them. It sounds to me like you are doing a mighty fine job of doing just that.

I have an idea, go to the store, buy a couple dozen store-bought eggs, take them over to the high-falutin' coop and hide them in random places, one or two at a time. That would be a HOOT!!!

 

[tuesdays chicks]

I think for us who live along the coast with sandy soil, there is plenty of oyster shell in the ground, oyster shell clam shell coral etc etc.... we can go on and on, people who dont free range their flock and people who live in the middle of the country with hard clay soils may need calcium supplements

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Quote:
its good to know your feed store is honest with you and not trying to sell you something you dont need. I ask the people in my feed store a question and they look at me like I have 2 heads, they repackage their foods and grains into smaller bags which is actually convenient but then they mislabel them they dont say whether its medicated crumble or not, I wont go on but this is where I got my chicks from and I dont think it would have really been worth me asking what breeds they were I doubt they knew.

 

[sheaviance1]

I trust my feed store

BTW - wish I could say that. Mine never seems able to help, but it is a chain.​

 

[drdoolittle]

sixlittlechicks09 wrote:

Every time they come over they look around the coop just trying to find something that they've "done better".

Are you sure you don't live next to my sister and BIL?!? They used to do that all the time about EVERYTHING to me and DH. It got to the point where there 8-yr-old son was doing it too! Fortunately, they moved away, and didn't tell us where they went and never call anymore. Guess we did something right!

 

[claireree]

I live in spain and cant find oyster shell but my chickens are laying eggs every day for me one even gives me a double yolker at least once or twice a week so I wouldnt worry too much, I do try and keep my eggs shells put them in the oven for a bit then crush them up and give them back to them.

 

[Brown Farmer]

You need to be more clear on your "laying hen". The chicken has come a long way from its natural wild state. There are hundreds of breeds selected for different traits. If you have a breed whoose laying and brooding habits are close to the wild state, you are safe leaving it on free range, just tossing it a few grains as is done in subsistance farming in developing countries. However, if you have a prolific laying breed or hibrid, you better provide free access to calcium - usually oyster shells but eggshells do a better job.