Do I NEED crushed oyster shell?

[ducklover87]

I also like the idea of getting a back of all flock, and a bag of layer pellets and mixing them...that way they get the extra protein, and but also the extra calcium...I think that will be my next feeding trial. The 2 mixed. I like the size of the eggs when the chickens are getting higher protein, but I don't like worrying about whether they are getting enough calcium...

What I do is I buy the 50lb bag of layered pellets and a 50lb bag of cracked corn and then just mix it together. My ducks seem to like it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What I do is I buy the 50lb bag of layered pellets and a 50lb bag of cracked corn and then just mix it together. My ducks seem to like it.

Now your cutting the calcium back even more, I am not trying to make you feel your not doing the right thing, my flock gets whole corn as a treat every day but I keep their feed as close to right percent of calcium and protein as I can, and by adding the OS I am sure they are able to get the amt of calcium they need.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oyster Shell has been around for ages. My grandma used it for her flock, my Dad recommended it to me. I think there's some merit in putting it in a seperate bowl as "free choice". If you start to see rubber eggs or brittle/thin shells then you know you'll need to amp up the calcium. I think some regions or soil conditions provide calcium in the form of limestone (Calcium Carobonate) so birds sometimes will fair well on their own...but I always have some to offer mine. I also know there is mixed feelings on this but I feed back my egg shells crushed to my flock as well. I don't have problems with egg eaters either.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oyster Shell has been around for ages. My grandma used it for her flock, my Dad recommended it to me. I think there's some merit in putting it in a seperate bowl as "free choice". If you start to see rubber eggs or brittle/thin shells then you know you'll need to amp up the calcium. I think some regions or soil conditions provide calcium in the form of limestone (Calcium Carobonate) so birds sometimes will fair well on their own...but I always have some to offer mine. I also know there is mixed feelings on this but I feed back my egg shells crushed to my flock as well. I don't have problems with egg eaters either.

I give the egg shell to and they gobble them up, I've not ever had an egg eater. I steam my duck eggs to feed to my dogs and give the shell crushed up to the ducks/ chickens. It's a feeding frenzy when i bring them out,.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

They thing is they are not going to eat more than they need, The oyster shell /grit container is no where near the feed bowls and i see my girls randomly going over an eating of it. If you wait till you see thin shells then what is her body doing? I really don't think it is wise to wait. I just started mixing my feed half layer half all flock and i am still seeing my girls eating OS, but I won't go to all layer because I have drakes/gander and roosters and don't think they need the extra calcium. And they can get calcium in other veggies but we don't know if it is enough to keep their bones healthy, I buy kale romaine lettuce and collards for my flock for the extra calcium and still see them eating the OS. just my 2 cents.

This is a very good point as to what it is doing to their bones by the time I see the thin shells. I do feed them kale and romaine lettuce off and on. I will pick up a bag of oyster shell from the farm store tomorrow morning I will put it at the opposite end of the duck area. THANK YOU ALL for helping me out. I greatly appreciate all the words of wisdom!

 

[Going Quackers]

This is a very good point as to what it is doing to their bones by the time I see the thin shells. I do feed them kale and romaine lettuce off and on. I will pick up a bag of oyster shell from the farm store tomorrow morning I will put it at the opposite end of the duck area. THANK YOU ALL for helping me out. I greatly appreciate all the words of wisdom!

Sounds good. I use flock raiser and offer free choice Oyster shell to both the ducks and the chickens. The drakes don't touch the oyster shell and i have yet to see the youngsters touch it either.

The stuff weighs a ton, stuffed into this silly paper bag here... total doorstop lol

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Miss Lydia def good points made. Oyster shell is a cheap commodity to keep things in good operation. You don't want an internally broken egg either. That will lose you a hen. Offer it free choice away from the food dispenser. My girls crave the stuffwhen they're laying you can see it. Mine love their eggshells too.

 

[gryeyes]

Sounds good. I use flock raiser and offer free choice Oyster shell to both the ducks and the chickens. The drakes don't touch the oyster shell and i have yet to see the youngsters touch it either.

The stuff weighs a ton, stuffed into this silly paper bag here... total doorstop lol

Me too. I use All Flock for everybody: chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese. I put the crushed oyster shell (from that huge doorstop of a bag!) into a dog food dish out in the yard near the coop. Mama hens show it to their chicks but the babies don't eat much, just taste it and scratch around the dish like good little chicks following their mothers' example. I've seen drakes dip their bills into the OS, but unless they're calling a hen over to the fresh stuff I just put out, they fling their heads about to get the OS off their bills.

If you don't want to buy anything extra, just crush the egg shells you use in cooking and put that into a separate dish. They'll get BACK some of the calcium they depleted by forming the shells for the eggs they lay.

I just find the oyster shell easier and I can put egg shells into my composting bin. After all, so little else gets tossed in there nowadays!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I used to compost my egg shells too but then guess who I found raiding the bin and eating them anyways.

 

[Amiga]