Feeding low-calcium feed: How much supplemental calcium does your flock eat?

[humblehillsfarm]

Are you offering regular grit as well?

It might just be the novelty of your bringing in something special -- the way they all attack their feeder when you add more pellets to the top even though they are exactly the same. If your calcium feeder was large enough that it would last several days maybe they wouldn't be so inclined to gobble it on sight?

I actually don’t offer grit. They free range on 4 acres, and any birds we’ve processed have had plenty of grit (mostly coal, actually) in their crop.

I never thought about it being a novelty but that’s such a good point. They flock to it when I refill it in the morning.

It's fine to give them egg shells, but it's not enough for many hens.
mary

I was mulling this situation over on my way home and was thinking I should significantly increase the oyster shell and see if that helps. Larger container and more oyster shells.

 

[aart]

I was mulling this situation over on my way home and was thinking I should significantly increase the oyster shell and see if that helps.

Don't put any egg shell in and see if that curbs their enthusiasm.
I know when I do add egg shell to the OS, consumption goes up a bit.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Don't put any egg shell in and see if that curbs their enthusiasm.
I know when I do add egg shell to the OS, consumption goes up a bit.

I’ll do that. I guess adding egg shells isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.

 

[aart]

I’ll do that. I guess adding egg shells isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.

Eh, it's fine in most cases.
OS is a better calcium supplement, lasts longer in the gizzard.

 

[CHlCKEN]

I don’t remember what feed I give them- I have it written down somewhere but I never take a good look at the bag, and the entire thing fills my feeder so it gets thrown away pretty quick. Anyway, it’s a layer feed with calcium included. I provide my girls some free-choice oyster with their grit though, just in case someone needs extra. I had very thin shells this summer- one nearly killed my favorite hen when it broke inside her- and no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t stop it. Once they entered their molt, everyone was on Grower Feed since I had just integrated chicks, and no one was laying. Soon, my little girls started up, so I slowly changed their feed out to something neither group had eaten before. Now I have 6 layers out of 7 (my favorite hen doesn’t seem to lay anymore after the EYP) and not a single thin shell. I offer oyster now to. Perhaps what I was feeding them before, was just not enough, or maybe to much.

 

[svh]

I feed 100% all flock, and my 15 girls, 9 pullets and 6 hens, barely touch the side offered oyster shell. One small bowl lasts for months ! I've never seen the cockerel eat any of the OS, but he does inspect it with the side eye when I freshen it up.

They must get their calcium from other sources, such as the limestone gravel driveway, or from free range activities ..... I'm not sure, but I have some very thick shells, almost too thick, as sometimes they take a few good whacks on the edge of the skillet to crack em open !

 

[humblehillsfarm]

So I found this 16oz gravity fed waterer that I used for oyster shells instead. I now use about 10-20% egg shells and 80-90% oyster shells. I have 16 laying hens and at least 10ish of them are laying. I refill about twice a week, which is close to two cups of calcium at a time. I have been feeding them 18% flock raiser. The calcium is located next to their feed. My egg shell quality has been perfect. I had definitely not been providing enough, and I should have always kept it near their feed rather than leaving the bowl I was using outside.

 

[ChookieG]

I've been having problems with feeding my girls layer feed. They almost always end up with excess calcium seen by the calcium specs on their egg surfaces. I do feed them lots of grass and weeds, and yogurt as well so my guess is the excess calcium was coming from these things too. I've stopped giving them egg shell because of the calcium overload and have switched to pullet crumbles instead.

Funny a local brand that supplies a mixed flock feed has at least 3.8% calcium in it's formula (https://barastocpoultry.com.au/our-products/naturals-range/mixed-flock/). I thought that would be too much for birds like pullets and roos?