Other sources of calcium?

[amcstay]

I have been feeding my hens crushed egg shells as a calcium supplement, but was wondering if crushed snail shells would work as well? They seem to be eating the ones they find on the ground and I was just wondering if this could also be used as a supplement as well.

Also, how about colored eggs? We have a bunch of colored egg shells left over from easter.....

Thanks!

 

[horsejody]

I don't think that the colored shells will bother them as long as it's just food coloring. I put crushed oyster shell out for mine.

 

[amcstay]

We can' t get oyster shell here that I know of, so I was thinking crushed snail shells? We have tons of those laying about our garden, I just wanted to know if it would work......

 

[horsejody]

Well, if the chickens are eating them anyway and not getting sick, I would just let them have fun scavenging for them and not worry about it.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Sure. It's all just calcium carbonate, aragonite, a wee insignificant bit of protein. All mollusk shells are basically the same, although the super thin flimsy ones don't, as you can imagine, have much calcium there, just b/c there isn't much "there" there

Pat

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

What does your feed store man say that people use?
I imagine that snail shells would work as almost same content in shells as oyster shells are
Besure and give them a good size pile and they will pick thru the shells

also can you get
apple cider vineager?
use 2 tbsp ACV in gallon of water 5 times a week for the hens body to use the calcium in the shells
also helps the body use Vit D

egg shells are okay as the hens body can only gain what ever amt of calcium that is contained in the egg shells

Any way go for it with snail shells
as they would be an outside extra source of calcium with the already used egg shells value in calcium

 

[horsejody]

If you can get layer feed it will have calcium added already.

 

[amcstay]

What does your feed store man say

My feed store man just looked at me funny... I don't think people here feed calcium supplement to their chickens......

Thanks for all the advice. I will put it into practice this weekend.​

 

[flopshot]

i thought about bone meal but there seems to be some concerns about using it.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

what would be wrong with bone meal?
Hens DO NEED calcium so use it if you have it