Hen eats toomany calcium chips?

[hithere753]

Local agway sold me Calcium chips as oyster shells. I found out I was mixing way too much calcium into feed ( 20%-33%) for a week and after talking to another chicken owner so I stopped adding calcium into the feed and decided to fed straight 16% protein and 4% calcium layer pellets. The hens stopped laying for 5 days when i did this and I got 1 soft shelled egg so I started mixing the calcium back into the feed. The hens then only ate the top pellets so the bottom third of the feeder (square tupperware container) started to accumulate the calcium chips so I thought once again too much calcium. I then threw all the calcium chips into the corner of the run to make it free choice and filled feeder with only layer pellets. The next day, I noticed all the calcium chips I had thrown into the corner were gone!. I don't understand why the hens would eat all the calcium chips ( 1 cup full) when it is on the ground after they spent 2 days picking the pellets out when it was mixed in. I have heard that hens know how much calcium they need, but I can't see how eating a cup of it in 1 day ( 4 possible hens) would be right.

Any thoughts?

 

[Den in Penn]

Chickens can do some odd things. By throwing it in the corner where they could scratch and peck at it, you may have made it into something fun to do. Or maybe they scratched it around into the bedding with out eating much. My advise is to serve it as a side dish.

 

[dragonlair]

Yeah, as Den said, by throwing it on the ground, you created something new to eat and play in. If I mix stuff together, mine will eat the regular stuff and ignore the new until I dump it on the ground. Then all bets are off. If it's dumped on the ground they will gobble it up!

 

[Corazon Ranch]

I agree with the others, separate from feed and free choice is best. I used to put mine in a feed pan on the ground, but the birds just pooped all over it and scratched most of it into the dirt.

Just today we installed a calcium 'dispenser' that we made with 3" PVC pipe, a Wye, and a cleanout on the bottom. It works like those candy or nut dispensers you see around at grocery stores, etc. Fill the pipe to the top with oyster shell, and at the bottom of the pipe the birds stick their heads into the open wye and take what they want/need.

Because it is up off the ground, less is wasted. And the birds can go get some whenever they crave it!

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I use a cottage cheese container nailed to the wall for their free choice grit and free choice oyster shell. Simple is good.

 

[Corazon Ranch]

I agree, simple is good. Remember KISS -- Keep It Simple, Stupid! Haha, my mother-in-law says that all the time.

I am just lazy and don't want to have to refill very often! Also, my hubby is a tinkerer, so it was a fun project for both of us.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/croysh5lb.html

This says one lb mixed in with 20 lb feed is the right amt. if you mix it in (I mix mine in, too).

They self-regulate and I don't worry about it.

 

[Den in Penn]

Thing to watch for if you mix it in, is over doing it. Most layers are 3 to 5% calcium. If you use a layer feed to mix you can up the calcium way over what most will need. The one pound shell for twenty pounds feed is close enough for other feeds. A little high, but with other additional food sources like pasture or scratch it will work. What ChickensAreSweet is doing is mixing her own layer. Something I'm to lazy to do.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thing to watch for if you mix it in, is over doing it. Most layers are 3 to 5% calcium. If you use a layer feed to mix you can up the calcium way over what most will need. The one pound shell for twenty pounds feed is close enough for other feeds. A little high, but with other additional food sources like pasture or scratch it will work. What ChickensAreSweet is doing is mixing her own layer. Something I'm to lazy to do.

Good point and I should have clarified that!