Best way to feed oyster shell temporarily?

[gale65]

The store was out of layer so dh got multi flock, but he forgot oyster shell. He already filled the feeder so tomorrow when we get the oyster shell, what is the best way to feed it? I don't want to buy or make a feeder for it since it's only going to be until this bag of multi flock is gone. Is it ok to put it in a dish outside? Will it hurt if it gets wet?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It will not hurt if it gets wet.

I wired a pint plastic yogurt cup to the run fencing and poked a hole near the bottom for water to drain out. When that got brittle from the sun and broke, I quickly made an ugly little box out of wood and hung it on the fence. To keep them from billing it out, I made the box kind of deep.

For temporary, use whatever you have on hand. A frisbee, a tin cup, a bowl, about anything.

 

[BarefootMom]

When I do oyster shell it always gets its own dish and is fed free choice. I usually just put it in a little plastic bowl and put it in the coop.

so do you normally mix it in with your feed or something? I don't normally give it, just if there is a problem with soft shelled eggs. But mine do free range.

 

[gale65]

ok thanks. I have a pyrex baking dish out there and a heated dog water bowl that doesn't work anymore so I can use one of those. I just didn't want to put it in the coop and was concerned about the wet. Love the idea about wiring a little container to the side of the pen. That would prevent messes and wastage.

 

[happytraylz]

I feed my oyster shell seperately from their feed, in a tuna can nailed to the side of the coop. They only take some as needed, and with it off the floor they don't waste it..

 

[sherylreno]

You can also use your egg shells as well. Just put them in anything you want to and they'll take what they need.

Are your chickens still laying eggs? If they are not during this time then you don't even need to worry about calcium.

 

[gale65]

Thanks. They are laying still (11 pullets laying 7-9 eggs a day). But we don't have a lot of shells. By the time I found out he forgot the oyster shell (which was only Friday and he filled the feeder on Sunday) I had already used and pitched the shells of all the baking eggs and we only had about 2 hard boiled at the time. I figured 2 days of no calcium won't hurt but they'll need it for the remainder of the bag of multi flock.

Love the can idea. I can easily wire a can to the side of the run.

 

[rancher hicks]

My runs are covered but I put it in a dish and let them take what they want when they want. I've had no problems.

 

[JodyJo]

I keep a bowl on my stove, I use the eggs, throw the shells in it...I keep a ziplock bag and fill it up, empty it into a feeder I have it nailed to the inside of the coop, I also give oyster shell...either way they are getting plenty, my shells are very hard...if you run out for a day or so, they are fine...which is why I keep all egg shells...just in case I do run out of oyster shell, I have a fall back.

Tuna cans, butter bowls, anything like that will do nicely, and I have heard to NOT mix it with food...I have it separate from feed.

 

[groundpecker]

I just mix a little in during the morning feeding.