garden lime

[seminolewind]

can you feed garden lime for calcium?

 

[da-cajun-angla]

I DON'T THINK SO...TOO MUCH INGESTED MIGHT BE POISONOUS...IT'S NOT LIKE OYSTER SHELLS WHERE THEY EAT ONLY WHAT THEY FEEL THEY NEED...I WOULDN'T...

 

[silkiechicken]

I have a bag of garden lime but it says that it is caustic, do not inhale, and wash hands immediately after contact.

I personally wouldn't since it's pretty strong from my bag... but maybe I have something different. I just go with oyster shell as it's tried, true, and safe.

 

[greyfields]

I'm pretty sure it will impact in their crops and you'll hvae a mess on your hands.

 

[seminolewind]

I'm sure you can't feed it directly, but if I lime my pen, do you think the chickens benefit from the lime put in the soil?

 

[patandchickens]

you need to till or rake it into the soil thoroughly so that they do not contact it directly (eyes, lungs, trying to eat it, etc) since it is Really Bad for them.

Consequently I do not think they are going to get any meaningful calcium benefit from liming the run.

JMO,

Pat

 

[sundance]

have you tried some of the grit for the caged birds?It seems like it would do the same if you didn't feed them to much. I was in Wal-mart yesterday looking for boss and saw some grit in the bird section. I don't have that problem since Tenn, reproduces rocks overnight and we have plenty.



Owned by 13 RIR's, 1 Pitt bull, 1 poodle mix,1 Yorkie, 1 great Dane, and 1 crabby cray cat

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Dolmite or agricultural lime is used in pens to help change the pH of the soil to deal with odor and tip the balance away from good conditions for bacterial growth. While lime contains calcium I don't think it's in a usable form, it's bound with Magnesium. It may have some free calcuim carbonate but I sure would not rely on it as my hen's source.

I do use it in the coop in damp times of the year when I change bedding, I get it all out, put the dolomite down and then the bedding on top. It certainly has never hurt them, but I don't see them eating it either.

Hope that helps.