Calcium supplement options?

[brewer12345]

The game bird feed I can find locally is too low in calcium for layers. I have been adding about a pound of crushed oyster shell to every 20 to 25 ponds of feed, but a lot of the shell pieces seem to be getting left behind in the feeder by the hens. I try bashing up the shell pieces with a sledgehammer, but it seems to leave the pieces pretty big (to me, maybe not the quail). Is this simply a case of them not needing as much as I am offering them? Should I try supplementing another way? They just started laying, so I suspect that calcium needs are modest so far. I was thinking that an alternative to oyster shells from the feed store could be powdered calcium carbonate from the homebrew supply store, but it would be more expensive and possibly harder to mix into the feed.

 

[JaeG]

I offer crushed oyster shell in a separate dish so the hens can pick and choose how much they need.

 

[ShangoBunny]

I found this in another thread and it seems helpful.

"Quail Are Way More Efficient At Absorbing Calcium From Their Diet Than Chickens And Technically Do Not Need Supplimental Calcium In Their Diet If Given A Proper Gamebird Formula Ration For Daily Feed... Now If You Want To Offer It To Them As A Suppliment Or Treat It Wont Hurt Anything, But Is Not Necessary. The Shell-less Egg Thing Is A Fluke Once In A Great While Thing That Coturnix Do Occaisionally And Should Not Be Taken As A Sign Of Calcium Deficiency... Unless It Is A Regular Occurance... If They Were Calcium Defcient You Will See A Great Many Leg Deformity And Walking Maladies Before You'd Ever See Shell Less Eggs.

There Is Oyster Shell Grit Available Which Is Smaller Thinner Oyster Shells Thats Pulverized To A Finer Crumble For Quail And Small Gamebirds. Or You Can Use The "dust From The Bottom Of A Standard Bag.. Or Make Your Own If You Have A Trusty Hammer And Some Spare Time.

As Well You Can Offer Them Cuttlebones Which Will Help Keep Their Beaks Worn Down As Well As Provide Extra Calcium"

Thread = https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/436535/how-do-i-supplement-my-coturnix-with-calcium

 

[brewer12345]

Interesting stuff! Thanks for the pointers. I will probably just make sure there is some oyster shell available and not worry about it unless I have problems.