Calcium Options

[ladymist2u]

Hi!
I'm a new "mother" to my first 2 chicks (now 5 & 7 wks old) - will be getting 6 more in February. I have read/heard about adding ground oyster shell to their feed for calcium. What about egg shells ground up in the feed? We use it to add calcium to our compost/soil - would it work for the chickens as well?

We are enjoying this latest phase of "ruralizing" our city lives. Thanks for any tips!

Becky

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Some people use crushed egg shells. The chickens don't need more calcium until they are laying eggs and using it in their shells. At that time, most people feed a layer food, which already has increased levels of calcium. Just to make sure the chickens are getting enough calcium, people will often offer a container of crushed oyster or egg shells, also. The chickens can eat them if they need them or ignore them if they don't.

I'm glad you're enjoying your chickens. They're really amazing, aren't they?

 

[ladymist2u]

Thanks for the info! Yes, lots of fun. Amazing how different each personality is!!!!!

Becky

 

[Picco]

I bake my shells in the toaster oven for a few minutes to dry them and kill any bacteria that may be there. Make sure to crush them so they don't resemble an egg; you wouldn't want to encourage egg eating.