Enough calcium ?

[alagary]

My layer pellet say minimum 4% calcium . I found a squashed egg yesterday . Do I still need oyster shells ?
Thanks Dixiechick

 

[alagary]

tell me something please . my first try at raising chickens.

 

[BayCityBabe]

I would do a search on BYC to find out more.
It's my understanding that new layers sometimes make the fragile eggs. I got really worried when we found a couple.
It wouldn't hurt to feed their eggshells back to them. I usually save up 8 or 10, let them dry out or nuke 'em for 30 secs, then crush them. I just sprinkle the crushed shells on the ground with some scratch.

 

[alagary]

shells should really be small pieces ,right ?

 

[CovenantCreek]

You should always provide a calcium supplement free-choice. Their needs vary and it would be impossible to know that they're getting enough without letting them decide how much that is. You can offer them egg shells that have been rinsed, dried, and finely crushed. Crushed oyster shell is the easiest to feed, so you should consider picking some up at a feed store as soon as you can.

 

[lalaland]

calcium is more important in the winter, when chickens don't have access to grasses and greens, which pack quite a bit of calcium.

First eggs are often shell-less, or such a thin shell you can't pick them up. Quite normal, and you'll see improvement.

Having said that, it is a good idea to keep some oyster shell around- your hens will help themselves as they see fit. Cheaper, but more time consuming is the feeding back of eggshells - some people go to lots of trouble and bake them first! Easiest is to just collect eggshells, and then take a rolling pin to them, or stick them in a bag and whack away with a peanut butter jar (assuming you can find a jar, not a plastic jug!) or whatever is handy. They actually will eat the egg shells without them being crushed but there is a theory that you dont want them to connect what they are eating (egg shell) with eggs they lay for obvious reasons.

Happy New Year!