Calcium mix in feed?

[Kakadoodledoo]

I'm wondering how to and how much egg shell to mix into a feed I purchased. The feed is 15-16% protein, a mix of corn, wheat, and fodder. I have laying hens and I know they need 4% calcium. I have been saving eggshells to mix in the feed. I am planning on fermenting this feed. How should I mix in the crushed eggshells? Should I wait until after it is fermented, or should I pour the eggshells into the fermentation bucket? Should I add it by dry weight and have about 10% of the weight be eggshells? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Judy]

I offer oyster shell in a separate dish. Some apparently need more than others. I don't see why you can't do the same with crushed eggshells, and let them figure out how much they need.

 

[donrae]

Don't make it so complicated

. Put the shells in the run, either in a dish or just scattered on the ground. Hens are great at self-regulating what they need.

 

[lairdhillfarm07]

I put a bowl full of crushed egg shells out for my new chickens the other day and they swarmed it! I feed them a layer crumble and pea screens. Does that mean that are severely deffcient in calcium?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I put a bowl full of crushed egg shells out for my new chickens the other day and they swarmed it! I feed them a layer crumble and pea screens. Does that mean that are severely deffcient in calcium?

They like anything new...but just to be safe it is good to have some oyster shells out for them.

To the OP:
I would just toss the eggshells in a dish or on the ground.

 

[donrae]

I put a bowl full of crushed egg shells out for my new chickens the other day and they swarmed it! I feed them a layer crumble and pea screens. Does that mean that are severely deffcient in calcium?

Mine always swarm the egg shells. I think they just like them. But they will leave them immediately for any veggies or other scraps I toss in.

 

[Kakadoodledoo]

Thanks for the advice. I do have the problem of over complicating. So the calcium doesn't need to be in their feed, it just needs to be available to them.

 

[lairdhillfarm07]

Can not giving them enough or any oyster shell or egg shells cause them to stop laying?

 

[Den in Penn]

Can not giving them enough or any oyster shell or egg shells cause them to stop laying?

Not getting enough calcium won't stop them from laying. What will happen is the egg shells will get thinner. Depending on how much calcium they are taking in they may start to lay eggs with just a token amount calcium on the eggs membrain.

 

[lairdhillfarm07]

Oh OK. Well I went ahead and bought oyster shell b/c I am not getting enough eggs to do crushed egg shells anymore.