Oyster shell...vegetarian?

[angel8035]

This may be a weird question, but if you are trying to feed your chickens a natural "vegetarian" diet (excluding bugs, etc. that are found in the yard), should oyster shells be offered? Would a hen still be considered "vegetarian" fed if she is given oyster shell (which I assume is a product of oyster farming?)

 

[Chris09]

This may be a weird question, but if you are trying to feed your chickens a natural "vegetarian" diet (excluding bugs, etc. that are found in the yard), should oyster shells be offered? Would a hen still be considered "vegetarian" fed if she is given oyster shell (which I assume is a product of oyster farming?)

First Chicken are not vegetarian so feeding them a vegetarian diet would be a unnatural diet and not a natural diet.

Oyster shells is animal type product so if you are keeping your birds from products like milk and cheese then you would keep them from Oyster shells.

Also if you are allowing your birds to eat bugs etc there not truly a vegetarian.

Chris

 

[angel8035]

My intent is to keep my hens from eating byproducts from the slaughter of beef/poultry/pork etc.

I am not sure if hens raised on a "vegetarian diet" (meaning that it excludes meat byproducts, not bugs and natural forage), are still fed oyster shell? I can't find much info on it.

 

[calamityfarm]

I've seen mine eat mice!

 

[HEChicken]

Hmmmm... I don't know the specific answer to your question but I can offer an alternative just in case, which is to feed them their own egg shells instead. Mine far prefer egg shell to oyster shell, and so far (after years of doing it), I haven't had any issues such as egg eating. I dry and crush them so by the time they are offered them they don't look anything like an egg, so I don't think they even make the connection.

 

[angel8035]

Hmmmm... I don't know the specific answer to your question but I can offer an alternative just in case, which is to feed them their own egg shells instead. Mine far prefer egg shell to oyster shell, and so far (after years of doing it), I haven't had any issues such as egg eating. I dry and crush them so by the time they are offered them they don't look anything like an egg, so I don't think they even make the connection.

Thank you, that is a very helpful response! I try my best to not partake in anything that requires the death of an animal for human consumption, and though I know that classifying oysters as "animals" is questionable, I think I would prefer to avoid the practice all together. Also makes things easier to explain when or if I ever want to sell eggs.

 

[lisascenic]

Oysters have hearts and digestive systems. I'd call them animals.

 

[Chris09]

My intent is to keep my hens from eating byproducts from the slaughter of beef/poultry/pork etc.

I am not sure if hens raised on a "vegetarian diet" (meaning that it excludes meat byproducts, not bugs and natural forage), are still fed oyster shell? I can't find much info on it.

Vegetarian raised chickens have no animal products of any kind in there diet.
If your intent is to keep your hens is from eating byproducts then you wouldn't want to feed oyster shell since they are also a animal byproduct.

I myself have no problem feeding my chickens animal byproducts, in fact I wont feed a vegetarian diet to them because I know they need animal products in there diet.

I look at it this way, by restricting a chickens from eating animal products of any type you are doing the same thing as someone that is feeding animal products to there bovine, goats, sheep, etc.etc.
You are trying to change the natural needs of the animal to meet your unnatural want and your want is for what? Maybe just to slap a tag on a carton of eggs the reads "Vegetarian Raised Chickens" and sell them for a buck or two more. If that is the reason then you may want to also add Unnaturally Raised since chicken ain't Vegetarians...


Chris

 

[canesisters]

<~~ Amused by the irony that the next thread is "Chickens won't eat produce or scratch"

Sorry - can't offer an opinion for the OP. I feed my horses horsefood, my dogs dogfood, my cats catfood and my chickens chickenfood.

 

[Chris09]

Thank you, that is a very helpful response! I try my best to not partake in anything that requires the death of an animal for human consumption, and though I know that classifying oysters as "animals" is questionable, I think I would prefer to avoid the practice all together. Also makes things easier to explain when or if I ever want to sell eggs.

Oysters are 100% animal.

• Kingdom Animalia
• Class Bivalvia

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Bivalvia.html

Chris