Is it true that......

[Brown Chick]

I see. Makes much more sense now. It's not "wild bird feed" like what one would put out for blue jays and song birds but game bird feed like for quail or pheasants.

Yes sorry for the confusion.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes sorry for the confusion.

No worries...just had me scratching my head since I have never seen wild bird PELLETS so my head went to wild bird SEED.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I had some soft-ish shells and egg-eating, so to boost the calcium fast (I am ready to be scolded, this might have been dumb) I put the oyster shells calcium into a coffee grinder and made a powder, which I put into the food and onto the best-loved treats of tiny vegetable cubes made from scraps. (less fighting if they are smaller pieces that are swallowed whole) It made just a little coating of calcium powder like a little salt&pepper on the food, not like a deep-fried batter. It made the shells hard very quickly. In my case this was the reason they were eating eggs/shells, because they stopped right away and started eating the oyster shell grit with more gusto. I eventually stopped and just made sure I had bowls of calcium in the run and in the henhouse.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I had some soft-ish shells and egg-eating, so to boost the calcium fast (I am ready to be scolded, this might have been dumb) I put the oyster shells calcium into a coffee grinder and made a powder, which I put into the food and onto the best-loved treats of tiny vegetable cubes made from scraps. (less fighting if they are smaller pieces that are swallowed whole) It made just a little coating of calcium powder like a little salt&pepper on the food, not like a deep-fried batter. It made the shells hard very quickly. In my case this was the reason they were eating eggs/shells, because they stopped right away and started eating the oyster shell grit with more gusto. I eventually stopped and just made sure I had bowls of calcium in the run and in the henhouse.

Not dumb at all. Rather than grind down oyster shell though, I save the powdery bits from the bottom of the oyster shell cup (since the birds don't really eat it at that point) and keep it in case I need to supplement a bird or two, as not all of them will willingly eat the oyster shell as is.

 

[Brown Chick]

I had some soft-ish shells and egg-eating, so to boost the calcium fast (I am ready to be scolded, this might have been dumb) I put the oyster shells calcium into a coffee grinder and made a powder, which I put into the food and onto the best-loved treats of tiny vegetable cubes made from scraps. (less fighting if they are smaller pieces that are swallowed whole) It made just a little coating of calcium powder like a little salt&pepper on the food, not like a deep-fried batter. It made the shells hard very quickly. In my case this was the reason they were eating eggs/shells, because they stopped right away and started eating the oyster shell grit with more gusto. I eventually stopped and just made sure I had bowls of calcium in the run and

 

[Brown Chick]

I like that idea. That probably would help the few girls with issues. If I could separate them for a special treat. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I like that idea. That probably would help the few girls with issues. If I could separate them for a special treat. Thanks!

The way I do mine is to mix the oyster powder into a small amount (like 1 Tbsp) of wet feed, and then isolate the bird I'm supplementing so only she eats it. They'll polish it off quickly and can rejoin the flock afterwards.

I'd do it maybe twice a week and if it works well, you can try decreasing to once a week. I just want to provide enough calcium to keep eggshells solid, but not overdose them on it.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I agree with rosemarythyme,
it would mix well into mash, or even yogourt. Whatever is a treat at your house. I did it once for a duck and for her I coated some mealworms. I used the 'shake-n-bake' recipe of moistening the worms (barely).

I think they would cooperate if you have a 'I've got treats!' walk about you when you come in to fetch them. They would follow a wolf if he had treats

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

by the way, if the shell is like a membrane that isn't calcium issue, that is stress. (at least in my henhouse).

Only the ducks do that to me, and it only happens if they don't have access to the nest-box and have an egg to lay. I have to make sure they have the box until the eggs are all laid for the day. (the pond is not next to the house, so I bring them out to the pond)

 

[Sheepheart]

Most animals do pretty well free feeding. Chickens for sure should be free fed and since they are free ranging during the day they should be getting plenty of exercise.

I noticed this with my ducks when I started out, when they ran out of feed during the day they went through more feed every time I re filled their feeder, where when I make sure they have plenty of feed and they don’t run out by the next time I visit them I’m going through less feed.