Facilitating broody hens

[HEChicken]

Hiya no I cant get medicated chick starter either,everything is basic for hens living in the city you get better options for cats,dogs,hamsters ect...Normal pets =\
We do have the shells my flock are not interested in them they prefare the grit but we do have poultry tonic which I will use,im scared to give them egg shells incase they eat there own eggs.

Shell and grit are two different things and used for totally different purposes. Grit is stored in the gizzard to grind up their food for them. Since they don't have teeth to grind their food, grit takes the place of teeth in the digestive process. Shell provides calcium. Making egg shells is a very calcium intense process and they need a lot of it in order to continue to make the shells. Layer feed contains extra calcium, so if they are getting a layer formula, they won't be that interested in eating supplemental calcium. But as soon as you stop feeding layer, and switch to a grower or chick formula, they will almost immediately start to show a lot of interest in the supplemental calcium - they KNOW they need it.

It is a common misconception that feeding shells will encourage egg eating. Some people just throw the whole shell out to the birds and it is eaten and even that doesn't usually promote egg eating. But what most people prefer to do is let the shells dry out, then crush them up into pieces about 1/4 - 1/2" in size. The birds do not make the connection in this way, that the little piece of calcium they are eating, came from an egg shell. I've been keeping poultry on and off for 4 decades and have always recycled the shell in this way and have yet to have an egg-eater.

 

[chooketychook]

Shell and grit are two different things and used for totally different purposes.  Grit is stored in the gizzard to grind up their food for them.  Since they don't have teeth to grind their food, grit takes the place of teeth in the digestive process.  Shell provides calcium.  Making egg shells is a very calcium intense process and they need a lot of it in order to continue to make the shells.  Layer feed contains extra calcium, so if they are getting a layer formula, they won't be that interested in eating supplemental calcium.  But as soon as you stop feeding layer, and switch to a grower or chick formula, they will almost immediately start to show a lot of interest in the supplemental calcium - they KNOW they need it.

It is a common misconception that feeding shells will encourage egg eating.  Some people just throw the whole shell out to the birds and it is eaten and even that doesn't usually promote egg eating.  But what most people prefer to do is let the shells dry out, then crush them up into pieces about 1/4 - 1/2" in size.  The birds do not make the connection in this way, that the little piece of calcium they are eating, came from an egg shell.  I've been keeping poultry on and off for 4 decades and have always recycled the shell in this way and have yet to have an egg-eater.

Ahhhh thank you I have so much to learn I thought the grit and shell does the same job,im so glad you told me this now ill put a seperate container out for shells,thats brill I can recycle there egg shells this way it will also save money thank you sooooo much for taking the time out to teach me xxx