Calcium additive

[lexigali]

One of my 5 hens has started laying shell-less eggs. I know it can be caused various problems, but calcium defficiency is one of them.

They regularly get crushed egg shells, but someone gave me calcium tablets for humans that dissolve in water, each tablet is 500 mg. Could I add to their water? How much? (I'm specifiically asking about this form of calcium, I know there is liquid calcium, oyster shells and other forms).

Thanks for any input?

 

[Ridgerunner]

One of my 5 hens has started laying shell-less eggs. I know it can be caused various problems, but calcium defficiency is one of them.

What is her laying history? Has she been laying good eggs for a while and this just happened or is she just starting to lay. Are the others laying? How are their eggs? When I have a problem like this I like to decide if it is a flockwide problem or an individual chicken problem. I don't want to mess the others up if there is nothing wrong with them. If the other eggshells are fine then you have a problem hen.

I agree with Dobie, much better to give that specific hen a tablet as she said.

They regularly get crushed egg shells,

Chickens need calcium for general body maintenance, not just for shells for their eggs. All the calcium does not get digested from the eggshells or other calcium sources they eat. Some calcium goes straight through and out the back end. If their eggshells were the only calcium they are getting it is a losing proposition, both from body maintenance and out the rear end.

Chickens can get calcium from a lot of different sources. From their feed, some plants they eat, creepy crawlies if they can catch them, maybe even some of the rocks they use as grit if it is limestone. Maybe feeding them back their eggshells is enough extra with all the other calcium they are getting from other sources to where they do OK. Sometimes it is not necessary at all. Sometimes it is not enough.

Let your egg shells tell you how you are doing. If the other egg shells are fine then they are getting enough calcium from somewhere the way you are doing it so you don't need to change anything for the flock in general.

My preference is to offer oyster shell on the side and let them decide. If they need it the oyster shell will disappear. If they don't need it that oyster shell can last years. I offer it on the side, not mix it with the feed.

 

[lexigali]

What is her laying history? Has she been laying good eggs for a while and this just happened or is she just starting to lay. Are the others laying? How are their eggs? When I have a problem like this I like to decide if it is a flockwide problem or an individual chicken problem. I don't want to mess the others up if there is nothing wrong with them. If the other eggshells are fine then you have a problem hen.

I agree with Dobie, much better to give that specific hen a tablet as she said.


Chickens need calcium for general body maintenance, not just for shells for their eggs. All the calcium does not get digested from the eggshells or other calcium sources they eat. Some calcium goes straight through and out the back end. If their eggshells were the only calcium they are getting it is a losing proposition, both from body maintenance and out the rear end.

Chickens can get calcium from a lot of different sources. From their feed, some plants they eat, creepy crawlies if they can catch them, maybe even some of the rocks they use as grit if it is limestone. Maybe feeding them back their eggshells is enough extra with all the other calcium they are getting from other sources to where they do OK. Sometimes it is not necessary at all. Sometimes it is not enough.

Let your egg shells tell you how you are doing. If the other egg shells are fine then they are getting enough calcium from somewhere the way you are doing it so you don't need to change anything for the flock in general.

My preference is to offer oyster shell on the side and let them decide. If they need it the oyster shell will disappear. If they don't need it that oyster shell can last years. I offer it on the side, not mix it with the feed.

Thank you for your thorough reply!

 

[Homestead-Instead]

I've been reading with great interest, this feed. I've also heard some chicken owners say that by feeding egg shells to their flock, the flock develops a taste for the shells, and will eat their own eggs. I'd be curious to know your thoughts. My flock is about 14 weeks old, and should begin to produce eggs soon, so I want to make sure they're fed properly as prep for their production.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I've been reading with great interest, this feed. I've also heard some chicken owners say that by feeding egg shells to their flock, the flock develops a taste for the shells, and will eat their own eggs. I'd be curious to know your thoughts. My flock is about 14 weeks old, and should begin to produce eggs soon, so I want to make sure they're fed properly as prep for their production.

I've had an egg-eater before, and it is the worst. I don't know how she became one, as I adopted her as an adult hen. But from what I've heard, it is a learned behavior. I believe that if you crush the shells into a form that is not recognizable as an egg shell, it should not cause egg-eating behavior. I cook my egg shells on a tray in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. When they are cooled they are extra brittle and crush up very easily. Then I roll over them with a rolling pin until they are tiny bits and they are ready for the hens to eat. I don't think they can recognize them as eggs in this form and should not develop egg-eating behavior from this. I hope this answers your question.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've been reading with great interest, this feed. I've also heard some chicken owners say that by feeding egg shells to their flock, the flock develops a taste for the shells, and will eat their own eggs. I'd be curious to know your thoughts. My flock is about 14 weeks old, and should begin to produce eggs soon, so I want to make sure they're fed properly as prep for their production.

I routinely feed my flock eggshells, flock size varies from about 60 to 85. No birds with egg eating behaviors. In fact, if I throw an intact egg and in lands without cracking open, the birds wander over, look at it, walk away.

I'm not saying it doesn't hapen, or can't happen, only that its not like a vampire after its first taste of blood...

As to the other question, turn the bottle around and read the label. WHAT KIND of calcium is it? Human Calcium suppliments are usually either calcium citrate (we can use this, and it is VERY rapidly processed by a chicken) or calcium carbonate (the same calcium in eggshells, oystershells, certain rocks). That's a much slower dissolving form which humans basically can't use.