Oyster Shells

[Dinosaur Gal]

I've recently learned that i should be offering oyster shells free choice to my girls. But since they have never had them im a little worried that they wont be interested in eating the shells any advice on how to introduce the oyster shells to them?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I've recently learned that i should be offering oyster shells free choice to my girls. But since they have never had them im a little worried that they wont be interested in eating the shells any advice on how to introduce the oyster shells to them?

What are you currently feeding them and how old are your girls?
There is an inexplicable draw of the oyster shell when it comes to the birds -- similar to how our own body can give us a craving that is actually it telling us it needs a certain nutrient/mineral/etc -- this drives them to the oyster shell and they take it in. I have never had any need to try to attract them to the oyster shell or induce them to take it in, they just do. The natural curiosity and "eat anything that doesn't eat me first" attitude of chickens likely helps with this. I keep it in a container in the coop (pictured below - I put grit in the second section)-- those that need it, find it and take it in.

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

I have 2 hens one is 6 and has stop laying the other is I belleive around 1 year or so and she is a millie fleur. As of now i am feeding them cracked corn, is is out all the time inside the coop so they can take as they please i also let them free ramge a couple times a day with supervision.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have 2 hens one is 6 and has stop laying the other is I belleive around 1 year or so and she is a millie fleur. As of now i am feeding them cracked corn, is is out all the time inside the coop so they can take as they please i also let them free ramge a couple times a day with supervision

Okay - with this in mind, the issue is not a need for oyster shell, but rather a need for a nutritionally appropriate diet. Cracked corn is mean to be a treat and should make up no more than 10% of a birds overall daily intake, it should not be fed free choice. For your birds you can either feed a layer ration (I would not given the age of the one bird) or, better still, a grower ration and do offer the oyster shell on the side. If you go with layer ration you can still offer oyster shell, but it is not *as* necessary as there is enough calcium built into the layer feed that it shoudl be able to support healthy production. If the lack of production is what is leading you to believe you need oyster shell that, again, goes back to malnutrition rather than lack of calcium and is better addressed with an overhaul of your feed program.

 

[Papagena]

Mine wouldn't eat it at first, so I threw it out on the ground with some scratch grains and that helped. Sometimes I mix some scratch grains in the dish as well

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

Okay! Thank you very much! I will work on getting a good grower feed. Is there any in particular that you would recomend?

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

Ahh okay ill try that see how they would like to eat it

 

[barneveldrerman]

I agree you need to feed them a better diet. Grower feed and oyster shells on the side are perfect. Treats such as grain can be fed to them occasionally it is not part of their diet.

Hope this works out for you and good luck!

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

Yes thank you very much! ill get new food on monday

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

I have a question would this feed be okay or which one would be best?

Feed number 1

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...mbles-premium-poultry-feed-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Feed number 2

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dumor-poultry-grower-finisher-15-feed-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005