Oyster shells - necessary?

[JillD413]

When should pullets be offered oyster shells? I have read consumption fosters strong egg shells. Some comment that their ladies don’t eat them. Do your girls enjoy the product? Also, I have in my head that I can crush egg shells and feed them to the girls for the same help. Is that right or am I off on that thought? ‍ I am guessing that our girls won’t start producing eggs until this coming spring. Again, ‍, just a guess. . There are a lot of you folks out there that have a bushel and a peck more knowledge about chickens than this ole bird. .

 

[slordaz]

first of all are the pullets currently laying?

If not they are fine with out it, all depends on what you are feeding your flock.

Mine are on flock raiser so yes I have on the side free choice of either oyster shell or Crushed egg shell. This way don't have to worry once the chicks are out of the brooder or my rooster, supplementing calcium before they are laying can cause issues as they don't need it.

here I can usually get a 40 or 50 lb bag of oyster shell lots cheaper than a little 5 lb bag and it usually lasts me all year for 12.00, or under if I catch it on sale

 

[GC-Raptor]

I feed a Non-medicated Start and Grow or an All-flock/Flock Raiser crumble 18/20% after 10 weeks throughout Adulthood.
I offer Oyster Shells in a separate container after 16 weeks. . Seems they need it before laying. My Barred Rocks indulged for 2/3 days and started to lay between 20/23 weeks.
I don't offer egg shells as my hens readily consume Oyster Shells. GC

 

[JillD413]

The little girls are not laying yet. They are just 5 weeks old. I figure it will be this coming spring before we see any eggs. Your answer of not feeding crushed oysters or crushed egg shells before the girls start laying eggs explains a lot. So - if they (in theory) start laying this coming spring, when would be a good time to offer the supplement? I am assuming you think we shouldn’t offer the supplement until after the first egg is laid? Another question is what happens if the supplement is fed and they aren’t laying? I currently use a grower feed purchased from Tractor Supply. The girls seem to like it.

 

[JillD413]

I feed a Non-medicated Start and Grow or an All-flock/Flock Raiser crumble 18/20% after 10 weeks throughout Adulthood.
I offer Oyster Shells in a separate container after 16 weeks. View attachment 1930712. Seems they need it before laying. My Barred Rocks indulged for 2/3 days and started to lay between 20/23 weeks.
I don't offer egg shells as my hens readily consume Oyster Shells. GC

That’s great! Thanks! Oyster shells it will be after 16 weeks of age. . We also use non- medicated grower crumbles. We don’t want to put anything in their system that isn’t absolutely necessary. Again - thanks!

 

[50-45-1]

Since a bag of oyster shell is not very expensive and it lasts a long time, its one of the easiest things to offer your chickens. I offer it along with granite grit all the time in separate feeders inside my coop. I never see them eating it but sure enough the feeder needs refilling every 6 months.
I also save my egg shells, let them dry naturally in a small slatted tangerine box on my sun porch and crush them back to the chickens.
Some folks dry them in the oven, but that just smells discusting and how much good nutrition is destroyed by the high heat that way?
I agree that you should wait to start as your chickens are not ready yet.
The feeder i use.

 

[Folly's place]

I use a regular galvanized feeder for the oyster shell, in a corner of the coop, and refill as needed. It's very inexpensive in those 50 lb. bags too. Egg shells alone fed back to them aren't enough, so use the oyster shell, then if you want to add egg shells, fine.
Mary

 

[Mosey2003]

Yep, 16 weeks is a good time to put them out. They won't eat a ton of them before they're really laying, but they'll be interested and eat some. Then they'll seek them out for real when they get to making eggs.

You can feed eggshells too, but they still should have oyster shell. It takes longer to be ground up in their gizzard, which gives them a steady supply of calcium overnight while they're forming shells on the eggs.

I too use piglet feeders, my friend got a deal on some (she has pigs) and gave me a couple. I like them pretty well. They like to flip the oyster out on the ground and pick through it to find the perfect piece, but they eventually eat it all up.

 

[chickens really]

I toss my granite Grit outside in my Run once a week and supply Oyster shell once a week too. I hatch eggs each spring and don't need shells so hard the Chicks can't pip out..I feed Grower finisher feed to all my birds past 6 weeks of age..

 

[Aquatic_blue]

From my undeestanding, you start gibing oyster shell when they start laying. Our hens eat it, no problem. We just mix it into their feed.

You can give crushed egg shells, but you may not have a good supply of them for a while unless you already have other egg layers.

From what I have heard, oyster shell lasts in their body longer than eggshell so it is better for long term calcium supplementation.

Personally, I give my hens both. Oyster shell in their feed and I put finely crushed eggshells in the yard when they free range. They will take it as they need it.

We first got a 5lb bag at Tractor Supply to test it out and I want to say it was about $10 or so. It does last a long time. A month or two later it seems we have a bit more than half of the bag.