Aragonite for calcium?

[karmical]

Heya out there

Two things I'm curious about:

Was just talking to someone who raises chickens about 'nutrition':

First thing is that he said that offering aragonite is better than oyster shell for calcium...that it's more easily absorbed. Anybody out there using / know about aragonite as a source of calcium?

Second: He thought calcium deficiency might be an element to feather picking/eating...which I hadn't heard before....

Wondering what y'all think....

Thanks!

 

[SunsetChickens]

Quote:
This thread suggests that protein deficiency might factor into feather-picking. I found the PDF in Yogiman's post to be helpful.

As for the aragonite .... uh, anyone else? Never heard of the stuff.

 

[karmical]

Thanks Sunset

I was on that thread myself! Got a lot out of Yogiman's info...still curious though if anyone ever heard that calcium plays a part in feather picking / eating...

 

[Churkenduse]

I dry my girls' eggs and grrind them in a coffee grinder till they are very fine then feed them back.
My eggs' shells are as hard as rocks.

Cost $0

feeding my girls pure unadulterated calcium
Priceless!

 

[birdnutz]

I used it for my breeding parrots. I just put it into a seperate bowl and let them have at it free feed.I also added a little vit D to it. I don't think I'd add D to it for chickens though.

 

[lindsayt44]

Wow, I never thought about grinding the egg shells and feeding them back to the chickens. Do you clean the outisde of them off before grinding them?

One of my chickens has laid 2 deformed eggs and 1 shelless egg. I'm trying to figure out what to do.

 

[GrFChickens]

I do know that aragonite is more easily absorbed because it's already been through the sea creature's digestion . . . vs. limestone that hasn't been broken down this way.