Feeding Question

[Charlene1234]

When you feed egg-layer pellets for the egg layers, do you still need to feed oyster shell? I thought the pellets had the whole thing in it?

Another question... can you save the egg shells, dry them, crush them and feed them back to the chickens? Will they associate that with their own eggs??? I know we did this for pigeons to provide calcium.

Thanks!

 

[steffpeck]

I am not 100% sure on the pellet / Oyster shell issue, but I have heard of other people crushing their eggshells and feeding it back to the chickens. I think as long as they are crushed they will not associate them to their eggs.

 

[sunnydee]

I give my 9 weeks old a hard boiled egg every nite. I crush the shell real good and mix it right up with the egg. They LOVE it!

 

[bigzio]

Way to go on keeping a close eye, it will benefit you and the flock in many ways.

Commercial feed is suppose to be a complete feed, however you will need to feed oyster shell free choice if the shells aren't the way you like.

Saving and drying, using egg shells for added calcium is the only green feeding way to go....no need to waste the favorite for the flock. A seperate feeder for oyster shells and eggs shells works best allowing the hens to feed on them when they need, and believe me they know what thet need. Simply rinse, dry, and crush by hand into smaller pieces, I've done this for years....kinda makes life full circle eh?

bigzio

 

[pkeeler]

Just offer the oyster shell free choice. If you haven't bought it yet and want to save a few dollars, then you can go without it. If the eggs are thin, then go get it. But, the stuff is pretty cheap and it is good insurance to offer it. The chickens will eat it if they need it.

Or do the eggshells instead of oyster shells.

 

[Sulteric]

Wouldn't putting egg shells out attract raccoons and other such egg stealers?

 

[Akane]

I wouldn't think dried up, crushed egg shell would attract anything more than leaving chicken feed out would. Such things are best kept in the coop or at least behind a fence if you have critters about.

 

[Charlene1234]

Thanks for the info! I'll start saving my shells now.

No sense in tossing it if my chickens will eat it. I've found I can give them all our leftovers and kitchen scraps! It's so great. They have to fight the dogs for them sometimes but the chickens win most of the time. My dogs are so nice to their feathered friends!

They even guard them at night... in fact I just heard them barking at something that was probably trying to investigate the coop!

 

[needmorechickens!]

I toast my eggshells in the toaster oven before I put them out. My mom says thats what my grandparents used to do when they fed shells to their chickens. I just bake them on about 200 degrees for about 20 minutes to dry them out real well, then they are easier to break up too.
Anybody else do that? Am I wasting my time toasting them?

~Rebecca

 

[bigzio]

Some folks prefer to toast them. It does save the hassle of air drying them after you rinse them. Just personal choice. Dry shells are the key though.

bigzio