Is shell grit necessary?

[Beekissed]

Surely such a lack would show up as recurring shell issues rather than just one every couple of months? Or there something I'm misunderstanding about chicken physiology?

Yes...the thing you are not understanding is that not all chickens are alike. Some have less nutritive absorption abilities, some have different health stressors, different laying abilities, different excretory gland function, different dietary intake. If they were all exactly alike in every respect, you may expect to find they all lay eggs that are exact in form, tensile strength and yolk quality....but they aren't.

And a soft egg laid every couple of months is my definition of a "recurring shell issue"....

 

[Johnboy78]

My experience is limited to the 8 I have now, my first flock, almost 7 months old.
Their diet is Layena, occasional scratch and whatever they get free ranging the yard.
At about 5 months I put out a saucer of oyster shell next to the saucer of grit. (looks like white grit)
They went through 3/4 of it in 2 days, consumption tapered off and now they nibble every so often.
My first eggs showed at just past 6 months and I was amazed at the shell thickness,
took two tries to crack the shell on the counter, not like supermarket eggs.
The Rhode Island Reds are laying daily, the sexlinks are producing at least one a day,
yesterday I had my first 4 egg day. Have not seen a thin shell once, nor a shell-less one.

What convinced me to offer it was how quickly the eggshells I threw in the yard
the first time disappeared. Made me think that they were eating it for a reason
and that was before I saw my first egg.

Anyhow like I said I really don't know anything but I supply grit and oyster shell and both are consumed.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Quote:
We do do this sometimes as well, I often awaken to my mother smashing up shells in the kitchen for the chickens.

We only use the ones that look acceptable, from the eggs that we've eaten. I don't know, would this be helping to keep their calcium intake up?

The kind of feed they have is basically a mix of pellets and different seeds.

 

[cbohn80]

during the molt they dont lay so how would calcium intake even be a factor while they're not laying? also with winter stress egg production goes down so they should need even less calcium but more calories to stay warm, unless of course you supplement light to force them to lay more. am i wrong for thinking this?

i did have hens for 10 years when i was a kid as well and never had any problems using this method from what i can remember. we have always provided some free range time each day even if its only a few hours. could they be getting enough extra calcium this way?

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:

 

[cbohn80]

thanks for the info, i didnt know they needed calcium for feathers, always thought those were protein. about the molt, 2 of my coworkers who have birds both said their birds dont lay at all during the molt. do you have any remedies for this?

 

[vnploveschickens]

During a molt, your chicken's bodies are working very hard to re-build their feathers. But also, their bodies are rebuilding their stores of calcium and other nutrients for eggs and health.

Give them extra protein, yogurt (plain) and other healthy treats to help your chickens.


My hens stop laying altogether during their molt. Sometimes it takes a couple months before I see eggs again....

 

[Fierlin1182]

I've got RSLs, they lay all the way through their molt. Who know how they do it!

I guess it depends on the breed. RSLs are fantastic layers.