Mixing crushed granite/oyster shell

[bigz1983]

I read that laying hens need crushed oyster shell to help suppliment calcium for strong egg shells.

I have read that crushed oyster shell is too soft to help their blizzard break food down and crushed granite should be provided too.

I have a rooster and I have read that the crushed oyster shell is not good for him and he needs crushed granite.

So if I mix the crushed granite with crushed oyster shell will the rooster be able to pick through it to get what he needs and the hens vice versa?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No he won't. You need two separate containers. Or you can just put a pile of grit on the ground. If you don't provide grit, they'll pick up small stones from the soil anyway.
Hens can usually get sufficient calcium from layer feed but since you have a rooster, you are probably feeding an All-Flock feed instead. In that case, the hens definitely need oyster shell on the side. Even if hens are eating layer feed, if they are extremely productive (building lots of shells) they need to be supplemented with OS.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hens always need oyster shell and all chickens need grit. Two small bean cans tied to the inside of the run or coop will serve to contain all the oyster shell and granite grit that your flock should ever need. A 50# sack of each should provide a BYC keeper with all the oyster shell and grit that their poultry will ever need in a lifetime of keeping chickens. A 50# sack of shell or grit costs no more than a 5# sack, and oyster shell or grit never spoils or goes bad.

Roosters are a lot tougher than this business about laying pellets being bad for roosters' kidneys. A lot of the things that you good people believe or are told about keeping chickens is propaganda. This propaganda is designed to discourage people from keeping or raising BYCs. The so called Humain groups or organizations are the ones who are responsible to these lies.

If a rooster needs oyster shell, he will eat oyster shell and if he doesn't need oyster shell he will let it be.