Oyster Shells

[digitS']

... could feeding them egg shell contribute to them eating their eggs?

The consensus around here seems to be that, yeah, it might

. Sounds like you are doing it but baked egg shells should be ground up - use the palms of your hands (or, some use wax paper and a roller). If the chickens don't recognize them as egg shells, the idea is that they won't try sampling their own eggs.

I've gotta say that relying on eggshells, unless the hens have a 3%+ calcium feed ration, doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And, if we add low-calcium treats to their diets (including scratch), we are reducing that 3% calcium . . .

Finally, chicken manure is a very high calcium fertilizer. What that tells me is that the hens are losing a lot of calcium that is in their feed.

You can't put ALL the calcium back into the hen by recycling their eggshells. Don't rely on eggshells alone. Make sure your feed has adequate calcium or give 'em oyster shells.

Steve​

 

[New adventure]

Quote:
OK, let's see if I've got this now.
- All chicks up till laying age get chick starter ( and grit if fed snacks).
- When hens start laying, switch everybody to layer pellets. Free choice grit and oyster shell. Roos are ok eating layer pellets and will ignore oyster shell cuz they don't need the calcium.
- Or should the roos have something else instead of layer feed, and what would that be?
- In which case do the roos and hens need to be separated so they can each eat appropriate food?
Help - I feel the feed police coming to get me!!!

 

[ghulst]

I feed ear corn, along with 16% mash, and my hens love it sure cuts my feed cost. I got 16 eggs from 16 hens today. All eggs were large or better. Dark brown with good color yolks.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

i corn the only thing you feed?
oyster shell will not hurt birds that are in laying age

the ONLY thing is give them good graanite grit with grains
all in seperate feeders
so any birds 6-10 months and older need oyster shell for laying
no the rooster will have good bones from calcium

also you can put 2 tbsp of apple cider vineager to a gallon of water for the better absortion of the calcium and vit D in your chickens

TO ELIMANATE FAT IN CHICKENS
feed whole horse oats to them in seperate feeder
then make sure they have granite grit
oats are 11% protein and take body fat off laying hens
this keeps them in fine laying condition
Corn is more fat content and only 9% protein
an most chicken feed the corn is the largest amount of grain in the feed

 

[adgcountrygirl]

The bag or container that the oyster shell comes in, should tell you when to start it. My girls and roos get to "free range" the dogs' fenced in yard while I let the dogs roam our yard and the neighbors on either side of us. (I asked if permission first. The go check things out and then come home and lay by the porch.) Our chickens get to range up to 7 or 8 hours a day that way, unless my husband lets them out to range before I come home from work. On weekends they sometimes get to range all day. They can get out of the fenced in yard if they so choose, but so far none of them has felt the need to.

 

[1AcreRooster]

Here in HOT Florida we cut out the corn in the summer, and try and treat them to some melon once a week. I use a separate feeder for my oyster shell, the girls eat it when they need it.

 

[k24smith]

How do you give chickens oyster shells. Should I mix in their food or put in separate dish?

 

[cafarmgirl]

How do you give chickens oyster shells. Should I mix in their food or put in separate dish?

Just put it in a separate dish, they'll take what they need.

 

[Valk]

Hello, hope it's okay to jump in here. I have 6 ladies that are a little over 18 weeks old. They have been on layer feed for a couple of weeks and now have a dish of oyster shells. We still have no eggs. I am a bit worried that we started them on the layer feed too early and have caused them internal damage. Oh, the breeds are 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Wyandottes, 1 Buff Orpington and 1 Blue Cochin.

One more issue: I have 6 ameraucanas that are 3 weeks younger than the 6 mentioned above, and they have been on the layer feed. I would have no idea how to separate their food, so they all just eat the same thing. Are we totally screwing up our chickens? Any advice would be most helpful. Thanks!

 

[Hayduke27]

Hello, hope it's okay to jump in here. I have 6 ladies that are a little over 18 weeks old. They have been on layer feed for a couple of weeks and now have a dish of oyster shells. We still have no eggs. I am a bit worried that we started them on the layer feed too early and have caused them internal damage. Oh, the breeds are 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Wyandottes, 1 Buff Orpington and 1 Blue Cochin.

One more issue: I have 6 ameraucanas that are 3 weeks younger than the 6 mentioned above, and they have been on the layer feed. I would have no idea how to separate their food, so they all just eat the same thing. Are we totally screwing up our chickens? Any advice would be most helpful. Thanks!

Awwww, don't worry. You didn't screw up your chickens. They are still just reaching laying age. Just you wait, you'll have eggs galore before you know it! That first egg always seems to take FOREVER