Oyster shells

[Adolfo Sanchez]

My chickens will not eat Oyster shells, what can I do so the will eat them?

 

[cafarmgirl]

They may be getting enough calcium from their feed if you are feeding layer so that they aren't eating much, if any oyster shell. I would just leave it out in a dish so they can take it when they want/need it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Unless you have problems with thin egg shells, it doesn't matter if they don't eat them

 

[cypressdrake]

I crush mine with a sledge hammer and throw about a 1/2 gallon in the coop. They are not going to eat this as much as food scraps, what they will do is pick in it enough that the eggs will be stronger in the weeks to come. It may be 2 -4 weeks before you see a difference.

 

[donrae]

They may be getting enough calcium from their feed if you are feeding layer so that they aren't eating much, if any oyster shell. I would just leave it out in a dish so they can take it when they want/need it.

This. In my opinion, younger layers don't need supplemental calcium as they have a ready store that hasn't been depleted like an older layer's. Plus, they really don't need much, so they may be eating some and you just don't notice cause maybe they only need 2-3 pieces. How are you going to tell if they eat that much? If you're feeding a laying feed with extra calcium in the feed, they really don't need they oyster shell. I'd just go by the shells of the eggs you're getting. But either way, it's not like you can force them to eat something.

 

[Adolfo Sanchez]

One of my chickens lays thin shell eggs, that was the reason I tried to feed them oyster shells, I do give them Layer crumbs and they love it, they will not eat the pellets though. I will just put a dish with it in the coop and let them help themselves whenever they need it. Thank you guys!!!

 

[donrae]

I had two older red sex link hens that just laid thin shelled eggs. I think they were 3? years old---I really need to keep better track of who comes in when lol--but I know they were at least 2. They laid huge super size eggs, but thin shells. Nothing I did seemed to matter, I think it was just the high production breeds and the huge egg size and the age.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: They won't as long as you give them a choice.
They WILL if that's all you give them, and you'll probably find there's less waste with the pellets

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: There a several free programs for tracking "livestock"
I just add the chickens into my "sheep" program, and it tracks their ages automatically
http://www.sheep.cornell.edu/management/economics/cspsoftware/cewedoc/index.html

 

[donrae]

There a several free programs for tracking "livestock"
I just add the chickens into my "sheep" program, and it tracks their ages automatically
http://www.sheep.cornell.edu/management/economics/cspsoftware/cewedoc/index.html

thanks, I know there are ways to do it--also just a good ol notebook--I'm just lazy about keeping track!