well, i just got some oyster shell in, as one of my quails lays a VERY thin shelled egg, its been stepped on a few times and lost it, anyway. Whats the best method anyone has seen to get them to eat it, i've heard people mixing it in with the sandboxes, or in with food maybe. i really got no clue lol thanks all
i have mine offered by itself and i feel they take some when they need some. i know they go through it im not sure exactly how often they eat it i usually change it or clean it out before they empty it. id be curious to see how other folks offer it as well...
Mix it with the feed. The only thing not mixed in here is the BOSS. I use that as a treat to get them to bed at night, being in Alaska their clock is a little off.
If it is in a format that they can actually eat, then sprinkle it on top of their feed, At a concentration of 99% high protein GBS, 1% or less oyster shell. You can also offer it free choice, or put it in their dust bath. It will make their bones stronger, but will not solve soft or no shell egg problems. Coturnix are not chickens. They do not need to eat a ton of oyster shell to build an egg shell. Truth be told...A thimbles worth of kale trumps oyster shell. If you want to get extra calcium in your birds, then go that route. Just a suggestion.
Quote:X2 Mine don't eat much of it either. I keep in on the side in a small bowl and the girls take what they need.
I fill their dust baths with oyster shell and they won't lay without the oystershell. No spilling. They bath and eat the oystershells. ALso it's a bonus when they find a mealworm in there.
I used to put it in another dish but they kept knocking it over. Now I put it in their sand box and them seem to peck around at it and bath in it.
Quote:My coturnix lay on 30% protein PM GBS, tap water and some play sand from HOME DEPOT. Nothing else. Must be something in my tap water, because I had fine eggs long before I found overpriced "OYSTER-SHELL" in a format my birds could acutely eat. Please don't say "they won't lay without the oystershell" because that is totally untrue! Coturnix will also lay eggs without ever eating a single meal worm, or ingesting any amount of boiled egg, or ground up cat food.
