Extreme calcium preferences

[K0k0shka]

I knew that chickens prefer eggshell to oyster shell, but man... I didn't realize just how STRONG that preference was! I used to only have heritage breeds that don't lay in the winter, so I'd save the shells from eggs I bought in the winter, build up a large stash, and my hens always had an unlimited supply of eggshell. So I'd never used oyster shell until now. But now I have production breeds for the first time. Due to some lapses in oversight, I ended up losing a bunch of eggshells when my husband was putting them in the compost instead of in my chicken bank, so I found myself at a deficit and started supplementing with oyster shell. Right now, my heritage hens are on vacation, and it's just the 4 production pullets laying. And they WILL NOT eat the oyster shell! On days when I have enough eggshell to give them, they gang up on me and attack the eggshell like it's the most highly prized treat in existence. They fight over it and devour it within minutes. They have feed available 24/7, so it's not that they're hungry (and they eat well), but they're acting super hungry for eggshell specifically, and refuse the oyster. The eggs they lay still have strong shells, but I'm wondering if they'll start losing bone calcium eventually because of their refusal to eat the oyster shell...

What do you think? Will they start eating the oyster eventually? Should I cut out the eggshells entirely until the chickens give up and start eating the oyster shell? I don't want them to be deficient, but right now I'm barely keeping up with the eggshells...

Picture of the most persistent one, about to pounce on me because she saw I had the jar of eggshells...

 

[thecatumbrella]

Did you get the rock style (that looks like grit) or the flaked style? Both of my flocks have STRONGLY preferred the flaked. It used to be hard to get, but I've seen it on Amazon recently.

 

[K0k0shka]

Did you get the rock style (that looks like grit) or the flaked style? Both of my flocks have STRONGLY preferred the flaked. It used to be hard to get, but I've seen it on Amazon recently.

I didn't even realize there were different kinds. Thanks! I got the first bag I saw, and it is rock style. I wonder if they think it's grit. I'll get the flakes, thank you!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Grind it up, food processor, and put it in their feed.

 

[saysfaa]

Mine did the same thing. Eventually, they had trouble with thin shells. I thought about withholding the eggshells to try harder to get them to eat more oyster shells. I didn't do it, though.

They had "crushed" as the oyster shell option. I don't know if that is closer to flaked or rock.

I know this isn't very helpful but if I post something, I can see when you let us know what happened.

 

[K0k0shka]

Grind it up, food processor, and put it in their feed.

No, they need to be able to eat the calcium separately so they can regulate how much they eat and not end up eating too much. That's why I don't use layer feed, only flock raiser. I always have some fraction of my flock that isn't laying (because of winter break, age, molting, sickness etc.) so that's another reason I want to keep the feed and the calcium separate. The non-layers don't need the extra calcium, it can damage their kidneys in the long run.

 

[K0k0shka]

Mine did the same thing. Eventually, they had trouble with thin shells. I thought about withholding the eggshells to try harder to get them to eat more oyster shells. I didn't do it, though.

They had "crushed" as the oyster shell option. I don't know if that is closer to flaked or rock.

I know this isn't very helpful but if I post something, I can see when you let us know what happened.

I just ordered a bag of flaked oyster shell. I'll report on how that goes.

 

[MamaPoult]

People call my hens spoiled but they do the same thing!! Used to have a high production breed that loved the dryed egg shells now with these heritage they refuse to eat the egg shell and instead require special calcium grit. They seem to like it in rock form. Since oyster and egg shell kinda have the same texture I thought maybe they'd eat the rocky kind and they loved it!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Same issue here. Flaked is preferred but only a little. What I do is ask all my friends to donate eggshells from whatever eggs they get. Some are from me of course, but they are mostly buying eggs elsewhere. That way I always have a big supply of eggshells for my spoiled brats!

I can sometimes trick them into eating the oyster shell by scattering it on the ground - so suggest trying that too.

 

[K0k0shka]

Same issue here. Flaked is preferred but only a little. What I do is ask all my friends to donate eggshells from whatever eggs they get. Some are from me of course, but they are mostly buying eggs elsewhere. That way I always have a big supply of eggshells for my spoiled brats!

I can sometimes trick them into eating the oyster shell by scattering it on the ground - so suggest trying that too.

Next step if the oyster flakes don't work, is definitely to ask my neighbors for shell donations. They don't have chickens so they don't have a use for the shells. I know how clunky and inconvenient it can be to collect shells though (slimy and wet, and voluminous) so I didn't want to have to ask, but maybe they won't mind.