Egg shell vs. oyster shell? And another random feed question.

[JNorth]

I have 8 red sex links that are nearing egg laying age (about 19 weeks). We've prepped the nesting boxes and are on egg watch. Anyway, I have been saving egg shells for a while to build up a supply and plan on saving the shells from the eggs the chicken lay, to feed them for the calcium. A few questions... when should I start giving them to the chickens? Should I wait for the first egg or start feeding them the crushed shells before they start laying? Also, if I am consistent with feeding the shells, do I need oyster shell? (My father insists that I NEED NEED NEED that stuff, so please settle the argument! LOL).

Oh and another feed question... they are currently getting DuMor grower/finisher crumbles. The bag is getting pretty low, I'd say we are under a 1/4 of the bag (a 50lb bag). Once that bag is gone (probably by the middle of the week) should I just start them on layer pellets since they are of laying age or do I need to wait until they actually start laying to start that kind of feed?

 

[speckledhen]

You can start them on layer when your grower runs out, sure. Or, you can wait, but it's really your call as old as they are. Same with the egg shells you have now, though most would probably wait on that until the first egg appears.

You can give them the crushed shells and see if you need oyster shell later on. You may want to get some oyster shell and mix it with your crushed shells to make it go further, which is what I usually do. I pay about $7 for 50# of what is called Poultry Shell at the co-op, which is pretty cheap, I guess, and it stretches when you add in the crushed egg shells.


Egg shells don't have the same calcium "kick" as oyster shell, pound for pound, so it's a lower dose of it.


ETA: Some folks actually always feed non-medicated grower and offer oyster shell free-choice on the side rather than use layer feed for their laying hens. It's up to you. I use layer because it's less expensive, plus no one has grower here except maybe TSC and I won't buy their feed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Agree. You can switch to Layer when the current food runs out at that age. Or you can wait for the first egg.

Chickens use calcium for other things than forming egg shells. If egg shells were all the calcium they were getting, they would run a calcium deficit, but they can also get calcium from a lot of sources other than Layer, egg shells, or oyster shells. Imp has a great list of things that contain calcium. If the egg shells they are laying are thick and hard, they are getting enough calcium from some source. If they are soft or thin, they need more calcium.

If Layer is all they eat, they will probably get enough calcium from that. They may even refuse to eat the egg shells if they are getting enough calcium from another sources. Oyster shell is cheap and it is good insurance to offer it on the side, not mixed with their feed. Oyster shell never goes stale. Depending on what other calciumn sources they have they may not need, need, need oyster shell at all. But then again, they might. You can let your egg shells tell you when they start to lay.

I always offer it n the side, whether they need it or not. As I said, cheap insurance.

 

[JNorth]

Great! Thanks for the responses, very helpful. They eat a good variety of other food aside from their feed. They get grains and grasses everyday since we live directly in front of the farmers field of alfalfa and winter wheat. Plus we give them fruits and/or veggies at least once a day. I like to give them a mid-day treat since that is when I'm usually doing to cooking for the day so they get the extras from prepping. I knew that the extra calcium wasn't necessarily a must but I figured it couldn't hurt to save the shells and have it on hand just in case. Thanks again!

 

[dragonlair]

Mine would never eat the oyster shells but love the eggs shells. I have a couple of older hens with thin brittle shells, but that goes away when they start eating the eggs shells. I also give them goat milk mixed with their crumbles that really helps the shell quality.