Oyster Shells - should it always be avaialble?

[tflowers]

Ok - i mixed it in with their feed. I will get a seperate container.

Now i have a broody pullet - started laying 3 weeks ago.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I have a container in my run that holds the oyster shell. It's hung high enough that the big girls will walk into it, and the pullets walk under it.

The layers can pick what they want, and the kiddos don't yet know it's there.

 

[Agarshak]

I have three girls they are giving me three eggs a day. Two of the eggs have hard shells and ones always has a very soft/thin shell. I do provide oyster shells in there coop...all three eggs are wonderful to eat ...

 

[kbelles]

We have 3 Buff Orpingtons and a Barrred Rock. They are all lovely ladies and have been so much fun to raise. We would like to introduce 2 additional chickens to the group. any suggestions ??

 

[Donna R Raybon]

What breed and how old are they?? My birds free range and have access to oyter shell, adult sized granite grit and chick sized granite grit. I feed gamebird crumble, oats, wild bird seed mix and protein is about eighteen per cent. Also I crush up egg shell and feed back to hens.

When I was feeding layena oyster strong I had similar problems. Out of a dozen hens only a couple eggs would be thin shelled and others dull and chalky.

 

[Donna R Raybon]

I had a March 2015 Buff Orpington pullet that went broody eight months old. Since she had only been laying a couple months I did not let her go broody. She went broody again this spring and i put eggs under her. She hatched out five peeps and will whup anything that dares look at her babies. In all my years I have never had such a good broody.

 

[pennyJo1960]

We have 3 Buff Orpingtons and a Barrred Rock. They are all lovely ladies and have been so much fun to raise. We would like to introduce 2 additional chickens to the group. any suggestions ??

By the ways Welcome

do you know anything about the one your bringing in?
if possible cordon off your coop so they can see each other but not
be able to peck the others, keep them apart like that for about 4
to 5 days you can see how your birds react to the new comers also

 

[Showemup]

We always made oyster shell available free choice in a seperate feeder and didn't have any issues with soft shell eggs or hens health.

 

[pennyJo1960]

We always made oyster shell available free choice in a seperate feeder and didn't have any issues with soft shell eggs or hens health.

Feed the chickens a good diet I have hard shells never have used oyster

 

[dustcover]

We have 3 Buff Orpingtons and a Barrred Rock. They are all lovely ladies and have been so much fun to raise. We would like to introduce 2 additional chickens to the group. any suggestions ??

I too have a Buff Orpington (Josephine) and a Barred Rock (Beatrice), as well as a complementary Speckled Sussex (Henrietta) and a White Leghorn (Gertrude). Both are very good layers, and the Sussex must think that she is the family 'pet', for she constantly follows me around the yard while I'm doing my chores.

My Rhode Island Red (Mabel) is also a good layer, very consistent, but she can be very vocal and has asserted herself as the dominant member of the flock. And finally, an adolescent Black Sex Link (Francine) that has not yet begun to lay, but is a lovely bird and one that I believe has a promising future.