Oyster shells

[antlers]

Quote:
Agreed but it you really ahve too many and you have acid soil, you can mash em up finer and mix them in the garden . It will act like lime and make the soil less acid. The finer the better but eventually it will all dissolve in the soil.

 

[the1much]

oyster shells are good for your garden too

 

[crooked stripe]

I am not having a problem with the egg shells to this point. I just thought with getting so many eggs they would run out. I feed Layina from Purina in pellets. Must be more calcium in the feed than I thought. Never got past the look of oysters. Probably just in my head. I do like clams. John

 

[Chicabee19]

I have a question about layer food and providing oyster shell...

I have read that the food has 'everything a chicken needs, including calcium', but then I have read that you must provide oyster shell 'free choice'.

Which is correct?

thanks!

 

[the1much]

the feed has everything(which they mean vitamins a minerals and so forth) and oyster shells are just extra calcium,,AND helps the chickens "chew" their food,, since they have no teeth,, they need something to grind up the food,,,,, wild birds usually eat dirt and small rocks to accomplish this.,,,,and sometimes your birds may need extra calcium,,,it helps there too.

 

[Chicabee19]

thanks Jim...

i guess it's best to be safe than sorry and go ahead with the oyster shell.

 

[the1much]

it WONT hurt them,,,,and if they dont need it,, then they wont even look at it.

i havent given mine any yet,,, but my yard is all sand , soo,, they get theirs for free hehe

 

[ninjapoodles]

I bet if you asked (the owner), your local feed store might sell it by the pound. I live in a tiny town, and mine does that with lots of things, including grit and oyster shell. They just weigh some out in a paper sack and tape it up. I think I pay 50 cents/lb. for oyster shell. Right now I only have 9 hens of laying age, so that works out for me. When the younger pullets get older, I'll go ahead and just get a 50lb. bag at a time if I need it.

These small feed stores are really dependent upon good customer relations. I have never been told "no" to anything I asked for. They might have to order it for you, but they'd rather do that than have you go somewhere else for your stuff. Because if you have to drive out of town to shop, you're not likely to just get the one thing while you're there; so they stand to lose a lot of money over a little bit of oyster shell! It pays for them to keep you from "roaming!"

 

[srmauldin]

Quote:
in answer to your first question. oyster shells are used in high efficency wood stoves and corn burning stoves, for cleaning purposes.

 

[Mom 2em All]

You can also by it by the box- in a pet supply or pet store. Look next to the grit sold for budgies and canaries. I just picked a box up for $2.00.