Crushed Shell Question Please

[Grand-hen-ma]

I learned here on BYC that it is good to feed my girls crushed shell, to help with digestion. I forgot to ask, how often should I offer the crushed shell? I buy the best feed the store has to offer. Oh and there was talk of vitamins and electrolites in some of the posts I was reading. Is there only 1 chicken vitamin or is there a name I should be looking for?

Thanks for any help.
Colette

 

[swordgeek]

The girls are old enough to be laying, right? If not, no shells.

I used to buy the layer feed, which is high in calcium, and occasionally added some crushed oyster and egg shells to their scratch, although we seldom had any problem with thin shells. If they're all old enough for laying, this is an easy way to go. Since I got a batch of young'uns (about 12 weeks old now), I've got grower feed out for them all, and a bowl filled with the oyster and eggshells for the older girls to eat whenever they want. I watch my birds - a LOT! - and have never seen any of the young ones touching the shells, but the older ones do. Their shells are still in great shape.

I don't know anything about vitamins. I've never given any to my birds, as the feed is well balanced, and I also give them really healthy snacks. They have a healthier diet than I do!

 

[Grand-hen-ma]

Thanks for the help. I only have 1 girl too young for laying. I have her with 2 Roo's. All of them are young, but I have to get her used to being with the other girls. I was given a few ideas to try to introduce her to the others. I know she'll be at the bottom of the pecking line but I don't want her hurt. She's a very pretty colored hen, kind of a darker caramel and white. And she seems very shy.

Thanks again.