Can you crush your own oyster shell?? and save $$$

[VAeggman]

Any reason why I can't take an oyster shell in a sock or screen and give it the sledge hammer?

Heading to the beach next week for vacation and thinking about bringing home a few shells for the girls.

Anybody?

 

[VAeggman]

Well the ingredeints on my farm store bought bag just say OYSTER SHELL. So I thought if its pure crushed shell I can do that. I was curious about the age of a shell? Say I just grabbed one from the seafood shack parking lot. Still an OYSTER SHELL. Wonder if it looses any of its calcium value??

Someone help! obviously I think way too much about everything!! Lol!!

 

[ChooksChick]

I'm not sure, but I think it's cooked or something prior to crushing...and sometimes I swear it's just calcium from stone.

It's so cheap, I never thought about making my own, and I feed them their shells after oven-drying and crushing them.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Seems like it'd be the same.

 

[VAeggman]

It is cheap! I use so little just thought it would give my sons and I another chicken activity. Ha ha

What about O shell for grit?? Is it sufficient for laying hens?

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
One of the reasons it's not sufficient for grit is that the gizzard is very, very muscular and wears away soft stones easily. We use granite for that reason.

 

[CityChicker]

I don't think it would be worth the trouble at all. I think the last time I bought oyster shell (which I only do maybe once or twice a year) , it was only about $6 for a 50 pound bag.

 

[columbiacritter]

I got a torn 50lb bag last year for $2. All the trouble of crushing even a small amount of sharp stinky shells doesn't seem worth the effort.

They do "Cook" the shells to get rid of the remaining organi c matter so it doesn't stink.