Harder Egg Shells???

[HerbGir1972]

in the past we have given chickens Oyster shell to harden the egg shells but someone mentioned to me the other day that you can give chickens KELP to produce the seme effect, I can imagine that would be a lot lighter on aging backs than a bag of shell..
Anyone else have suggestions??? Is the KELP thing valid???

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens can get calcium from many different sources. They can get it from many of the greens they eat, from shells and bones of some creepy crawlies, or if you live in limestone country, the rocks they use for grit. How much they get depends on how much of these things they eat. It’s not about how much calcium they eat in one bite, it’s how many grams of calcium they eat in a day. Another factor is if that calcium is in a form their body can absorb and use. A fair amount of the calcium they eat is not absorbed by their digestive system but passes on through their system and out with the poop. That calcium is a great addition to the compost. It’s a mineral many plants need.

If you follow this link, you can get a feel for which foods provide calcium and how they rank. Kelp is in the lower center of the foods listed, not bad but not great. Kelp is one of those things going trendy right now, things that will cure the common cold, prevent cancer, and improve your relationship with the love of your life. Something else will be trendy next year.

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/calcium_content_of_selected_foods/

The easy way to tell if your hens are getting enough calcium is to look at the egg shells. If they are thick enough, they are getting enough calcium from somewhere. If they are thin, they need more calcium. If Layer is all they eat, they should be getting enough calcium from that but if they eat other things low in calcium, they may not be getting enough.