*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[dee06]

Well done to you and Bella what a fab picture, have you entered it for the calendar, watch out for the autograph hunters lol

 

[familyfarm1]

 

[rancher hicks]

Oyster Shell Grit & Insoluble Grit are 2 different things..most poultry keepers refer to them simply as "Oyster Shell" and "Grit" and don't even realize that some manufacturers sell "Oyster Shell" as "Oyster Shell grit" .
They are also used for 2 separate things..

Oyster shell is calcium for egg shell strength. You can also feed back egg shells to help with calcium levels. It will not work the same as insoluble grit.

Insoluble Grit is used in the gizzard for grinding up grains...basically it is the chickens "teeth"...so to put it very basically it must be harder than the grains. Usually made from flint or granite.

Yes I know, but my question was doesn't Oyster shell help with shell making?

Exactly. The oldest local feed store in town sells "oyster grit" she bags herself in ziplocks, but then again, the owner of that store tells folks all sorts of crud that isn't true. She also carries granite grit, which is what grit is supposed to be. Oyster shell is not as hard as what grit should be to do the job. I don't need to buy it since my driveway is gravel and I live on a rocky mountaintop anyway, but I do buy oyster shell and keep it in separate hoppers for each group of hens.

I keep a small "metal" garbage can of each on hand at all times and give them some of both. Not the chicks of course.

My father used to live on the mountain top in VA so I know about the granite there. Their house was one road down from the top and the drive up was very hard on car breaks. Course there is much more to this story than I can tell here. I mostly have mud here.

I reckon if I lived on the mountain top I'd order Oyster shell and let UPS drive it up the hill.

One year I prayed for a dry summer it got so dry I couldn't get my tomato stakes out of the ground. It was like cement. My water bills went up from having to water the garden every day. I haven't prayed that again, but it sure is wet.

Well have a nice day.

Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

Don't you just love baby chicks?

 

[speckledhen]

Yes I know, but my question was doesn't Oyster shell help with shell making?

It does IF the hen is properly processing calcium. A Vitamin D deficiency or other things could interfere with that.

.....
Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks, I did not know that.

 

[Jaxdrisc]

Aww my little Bella has got herself into a magazine!

Now we know where you are from!! It has been a fun source of debate in our house ever since I noticed the beautiful backdrops to your sweet hens. There was no way that was anywhere in the US. Each time you posted a new pic, I would show the kids and the guesses were flying (pun intended!

) around the house. My husband even got in no the act! You live in a lovely part of our world, a place I hope to visit some day.....when all of the college tuitions are paid that is!

Congrats on being published! Fun! And please keep sharing....we enjoy it!

 

[rancher hicks]

Buckwheat laid another EGG! This time nicely done.

 

[speckledhen]

Buckwheat laid another EGG! This time nicely done.

 

[rancher hicks]

Buckwheat and her egg.