Calcium question

[Kullas]

I know it is good practice to keep oyster shells for calcium. The question is instead of oyster shells can I use calcium carbonate? I have access to calcium carbonate in powder down to 2 micron up to pea size.

 

[Abriana]

I am not sure what calcium carbonate is, but I know that you can substitute calcium with tums, however oyster shells are the overall best route.

 

[Kullas]

Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in tums

 

[Abriana]

Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in tums

OK then it would probably be a good substitute

 

[Melky]

Oyster shell is what is used on a regular basis free choice not tums. It would not be appropriate to just give tums on a regular basis to a chicken.

 

[MissChick@dee]

You could give it to chickens. It’s calcium...just offer it free feed. Oyster Shells have a better texture IMO for pecking. It’s perfectly fine to offer them calcium carbonate.
ETA: remember chickens will peck calcium as they need it instinctively. I would not add calcium carbonate to feed etc.

 

[Kullas]

The size I'm wanting to use is a bit course about the size of oyster shells.
Calcium carbonate is a rock mined from the ground most people know it as marble.
The reason I ask is for me the calcium carbonate is almost free for me and oyster shells are cheap but not free

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

You can try it free choice in a separate container and see.....I have only used oyster shell.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Hum...marble as I know it is not calcium carbonate if it were my shower would melt like a puddle of TUMS when I use it. As far as I know they are two different things. Calcium carbonate is not rock hard...as I know it.

 

[Kullas]

I work at a underground marble mine. We mine marble and turn it into dust its calcium carbonate. Tums is made by taking the fine ground dust and adding fillers to it and pressing it into a tablet. When I used dip I would get heartburn. I would get a pinch of dust and take with water and it was gone just don't have that fruity taste
I had never heard of anyone using it that's why I was asking