Hens won't eat oyster shell, How to feed it?

[Weeg]

I have 11 hens, 2 Silver laced Wyadottes, 3 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Easter Egger, 1 Barred rock, 2 RIR, and 2 golden sex links. I feed a big tub of oyster shell free choice for our hens to eat, for the calcium, and as far as I can tell, they don't eat it. I put it out at same time I put the same amount out for my ducks, we have 5 ducks, and the ducks OS, Oyster shell, is gone, were the hens OS doesn't even look touched. We have also been getting some really weak eggs, they broke in our hand when we are washing them. How do I get them to eat the calcium? I used to mix the OS into there feed, but heard that they could over eat the calcium, so I stopped. What would you guys do? Should I get another source of calcium, like Rooster Booster? Thanks Avery

 

[21hens-incharge]

What feed are you using? Is it a layer feed or an all flock feed?

I do know my hens refuse to touch the Manna Pro oyster shell but go nuts for pacific pearl oyster shell.

 

[cassie]

I just put out a small container anchored on the on the wall. A metal rabbit feeder works well. If the hens need the shell they will eat it. If they don't they won't. The amount they eat in a given period of time varies a lot.

 

[MarkJr]

Mine load up right before roost time. Don’t really touch it throughout the day.

 

[Weeg]

Mine load up right before roost time. Don’t really touch it throughout the day.

I can believe that, but the blow looks complexity full since eI filled it. Plus, the super weak egg shells, it hardly took anything to make them break. It make me think they aren testing he OS. I don't know, what do you think about the weak shells?

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I have 11 hens, 2 Silver laced Wyadottes, 3 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Easter Egger, 1 Barred rock, 2 RIR, and 2 golden sex links. I feed a big tub of oyster shell free choice for our hens to eat, for the calcium, and as far as I can tell, they don't eat it. I put it out at same time I put the same amount out for my ducks, we have 5 ducks, and the ducks OS, Oyster shell, is gone, were the hens OS doesn't even look touched. We have also been getting some really weak eggs, they broke in our hand when we are washing them. How do I get them to eat the calcium? I used to mix the OS into there feed, but heard that they could over eat the calcium, so I stopped. What would you guys do? Should I get another source of calcium, like Rooster Booster? Thanks Avery

You can buy layer feed that has the calcium built in the feed. However with your flock setup I am not sure how you feed or if you have your roosters separated or if you need to keep your chicken feed separated from your duck feed and rooster feed etc. if you are feeding all flock which might make more sense since you have a variety of birds in your flock you might not can go that route. If you could it might help your hens out a great deal. You could stop setting it out for your ducks as well if you saw that they were getting enough calcium to meet their needs from the new feed also. I don’t feed ducks and I don’t have roosters. Now also I am a new chicken keeper as well but I have researched my feeding options extensively and listened to the experts on here. So I am just reporting what others have posted on here also. Please get reports from others and also do your homework. Don’t just take my one report. I am confident in this info though and wish you luck with your flock.

 

[MarkJr]

Put a tablespoon of scratch in it. They’ll find it.

How old are your layers? Mine had some thin shells first couple months.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

You can buy layer feed that has the calcium built in the feed. However with your flock setup I am not sure how you feed or if you have your roosters separated or if you need to keep your chicken feed separated from your duck feed and rooster feed etc. if you are feeding all flock which might make more sense since you have a variety of birds in your flock you might not can go that route. If you could it might help your hens out a great deal. You could stop setting it out for your ducks as well if you saw that they were getting enough calcium to meet their needs from the new feed also. I don’t feed ducks and I don’t have roosters. Now also I am a new chicken keeper as well but I have researched my feeding options extensively and listened to the experts on here. So I am just reporting what others have posted on here also. Please get reports from others and also do your homework. Don’t just take my one report. I am confident in this info though and wish you luck with your flock.

Also the feed brand that has this built in is Nutrena layer feed Calcium Builder Plus I believe. I don’t have the bag any longer so I apologize for that but I know it is a Nutrena brand feed. Found at local feed storeA farm and ranch supplier not a TSC store.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I think they are sneaking oyster when your not looking !

Also are you sure that they are not eating out of the ducks bowl?

 

[Weeg]

What feed are you using? Is it a layer feed or an all flock feed?

I do know my hens refuse to touch the Manna Pro oyster shell but go nuts for pacific pearl oyster shell.

I used to feed a layer feed, but switched because it didn't have enough protein. SO now I feed scratch and peck flock starter, because it has 20% protein. The scratch and peck labels to be able to feed it to adult birds too. About half of my hens are 2 years old, the others the don't lay, are around 6-8 years old, because we have had survivors form previous flocks that got killed by predators. Could the thin shell be form age?