Bone Meal as a calcium substitute

[Cargar]

Hi All,
Just noticed that I got a 2 year anniversary trophy and am happy to report my flock of 4 are still happy and roaming here in my Cape Town backyard. Before I get to my question about calcium in the feed, I just want to share a story about my littlest chicken whom I've post about before. She was the lowest on the totem pole in our little flock but has the biggest personality and strangely she's always had the biggest comb. When we got them at 10 weeks I thought she was going to turn out rooster because her comb and tail were so much bigger than her sisters. But she developed into a chicken after all and always stayed much smaller than the other 3. She's always been the noisiest as well, constantly screaming at me to bring her something tastier than the normal feed. Well about 8 months ago she started crowing as well. And this isn't an exaggeration, she crows loud and proud but thankfully only in the afternoons to get my attention to come out with an afternoon snack so the neighbors don't mind too much. Not long after, I noticed that our largest hen who has always been the boss lady was no longer picking on the little one. As a matter of fact they all started following her around the garden and letting her call the shots. She is still the smallest and I swear my big girl is a little depressed about this but I wonder if this is at all normal the littlest chicken becoming the leader? Of course nothing about this little chicken is normal. Perhaps her name, which is Wyvern, set her up to be too big for her boots?
Now my question is, we do not have access to oyster shell over here in Cape Town which seems ridiculous considering our oyster trade but there's some sort of legislation in place against selling it. I tried crushing the eggs shells when we are done eating them but not sure that's quite doing it, if they calcium short anyway. Normally our eggs are fine but I have noticed that a couple of the girls have been getting some thin shells that crack easily. I have some bone meal that we get at the nursery for the garden beds and started adding a tbsp of that to their evening snack (generally rolled oats and left overs). Could bone meal be a good substitute or is there something about it that might not be good for them? Thanks for any feedback...not meant as a pun.

 

[Perris]

bone meal used to be part of the ration in pre-industrialized farming days, so I'm sure it's OK. There are other sources of calcium, including grass (enough for a pastured cow, for example), if you have doubts about the bone meal (if not adequately treated it can carry disease). But your problem may be lack of vit D, which is needed to metabolize the calcium. An easy source of that is cod liver oil - add up to 2%, not more.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

It will certainly help. Just be aware that bone meal has both calcium and phosphorus in fairly high amounts. @U_Stormcrow might be able to weigh in on this topic.
I regularly feed meat and bone meal as part of my chickens' diet and have not had any issues. My purpose was for the protein, but the calcium is a good bonus. Right now am not feeding it as I switched to a fully commercial feed (although this also has meat and bone meal in it) but I intend to go back.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

So, bone meal (typically) has the correct Ca : P ratio, and as long as its measured correctly (and you are careful not to give it to roosters or pullets pre point of lay) can be very beneficial. Note that it IS high in trace minerals as well, including the heavy metals. If oyu bone meal is locally sourced, and your soil is high in something, then chances are the animals eating plants from that soil will be high in the same thing, which you will then further concentrate by feeding bone meal made from those animals to your animals.

and because no process is 100% efficient, feeding your birds eggshells back to them can't replace all their calcium needs.

In places where oyster shell isn't readily abundant, calcium diphosphate and dicalcium phosphate are both common commercial substitutes. In the US, oyster shell is (was) readily abundant and cheap so its what we commonly use. Around the Mediterannean basin, I believe dicalcium phosphate is more prevalent in commercial mixes - but should be available to you with some digging if you aren't happy measuring out and mixing in the bone meal. As it turns out, both dical phos and cal diphos have lower calcium toxicity in male broilers than our calcium carbonate oystershells (the phosphate acts as a buffer and helps ensure the Ca : P ratio is maintaned)

and Happy Anniversary!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not all of the calcium they eat is processed by their body, some goes straight through and out of the rear end. And they use some calcium for regular body functions. So if all of the calcium they get is from their own eggs it's not enough. If they are also getting calcium from another source feeding them their egg shells can be a good supplement. With the other sources it may be enough.

They can get some calcium from plants they eat or from some creepy crawlies. Some hard shelled bugs may supply calcium, bones of certain animals, or even some rock like limestone. Some chicken feeds use crushed limestone as a calcium component. Hard seafood shells are good sources but the clear flexible parts of seafood are chitin, made of protein. If you have a source crab, lobster, clam, and such can be a good source of calcium, but not the chitin. If you can find crushed limestone in a size they can eat or can crush it yourself, that may be an easy source.

Let your egg shells tell you if they are getting enough calcium. Since yours are sort of thin you likely need another source. Good luck!

 

[3KillerBs]

If you can find crushed limestone in a size they can eat or can crush it yourself, that may be an easy source.

I'm pretty sure that the "calcium grit" I have is crushed limestone rather than oystershell because it's grey rather than white. It seems to work quite well for my birds.

 

[Cargar]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback everyone. I will look for some of these alternatives and see how they work out!

 

[saysfaa]

Some bone meal sold as fertilizer has lignin added. Research indicates lignon is an antinutrient in chickens, or at least it can be depending of the form and amount.

 

[Cargar]

Oh, I better check the bag. Not sure the additives would be the same in South Africa but better safe than sorry. Thanks