Providing extra calcium

[turkey lover]

yes you can give them chicken egg shells I give mine eggs shells all the time I just crunch it up an throw it out there,they eat it an don't seem to mind

 

[Michael Apple]

yes you can give them chicken egg shells I give mine eggs shells all the time I just crunch it up an throw it out there,they eat it an don't seem to mind

Some people do this, but it should be known that the chance of recycling disease is more likely than just using crushed oyster shell as a supplement.
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/eggs.html
Some people claim to avoid that by boiling egg shells in hot water. Even so, familiarizing chickens with their own egg shells may encourage egg breaking/eating from the nest, which should be avoided. Oyster shell is cheap enough, so I don't see the point of going to the trouble to prepare recycled egg shells for birds as supplemental calcium.

 

[kichohana]

So do hens actually digest the oyster shell or do their bodies just absorb what they need and expel the rest? I have oyster shell available in the coop and I know they "eat" it because I do have to refill it occasionally. I'm just curious about the digestion of it, because it seems like very similar in consistency to the grit I provide to help with digestion.

 

[Happy Chooks]

So do hens actually digest the oyster shell or do their bodies just absorb what they need and expel the rest? I have oyster shell available in the coop and I know they "eat" it because I do have to refill it occasionally. I'm just curious about the digestion of it, because it seems like very similar in consistency to the grit I provide to help with digestion.

Oyster shell (and egg shells) are calcium carbonate - which dissolve in the digestive tract. Any excess calcium will be deposited as a bumpy surface on the eggs. Grit is typically a hard stone, like granite. It is not soluble and does not digest. It stays in the gizzard where it breaks up food particles.

See here for more information:
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/8-1/grit-and-oyster-shell-when-in-doubt-put-it-out/

 

[Michael Apple]

So do hens actually digest the oyster shell or do their bodies just absorb what they need and expel the rest? I have oyster shell available in the coop and I know they "eat" it because I do have to refill it occasionally. I'm just curious about the digestion of it, because it seems like very similar in consistency to the grit I provide to help with digestion.

Like other nutrients, what isn't absorbed is discarded in the urates and fecal matter.
Here's some digestive system information:
http://docs.snowshoe-farm.com/poultry/PoultryNutrition/Anatomy_Digestive.pdf

Here is some information regarding trials on dietary levels:
http://japr.fass.org/content/1/3/339.full.pdf

I believe many people overlook vitamin and probiotic supplementation. A good quality formulated feed prevents deficiencies, but stress, age, undetected intestinal diseases, and seasonal changes can require supplementation. A few examples would be lack of natural sunlight and Vitamin D reduces the absorption of minerals like calcium. Intestinal or external parasites can rob birds of necessary nutrients.

 

[Kelsakat]

Oyster shell (and egg shells) are calcium carbonate - which dissolve in the digestive tract. Any excess calcium will be deposited as a bumpy surface on the eggs. Grit is typically a hard stone, like granite. It is not soluble and does not digest. It stays in the gizzard where it breaks up food particles.

See here for more information:
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/8-1/grit-and-oyster-shell-when-in-doubt-put-it-out/

I wish I could share this link and quote with every person who complains about the bumps. Some of the city slickers I sell eggs to freak out when the egg is not 100% like the ones they buy in the store. Any bumps or slightly off in shape must mean there is something wrong with the egg. -_-

No offense to those that do live in the city. I should clarify that around my neighborhood the term " city slickers" refer to people who expect and demand the same type of quality they have become used to in their local stores, without using the same harmful methods, regardless of where they live. I can get close to the mass produce quality if I try, but why would I want to? Good quality eggs and meat with humane and clean living conditions is why we do what we do. That and I love chickens

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Some people do this, but it should be known that the chance of recycling disease is more likely than just using crushed oyster shell as a supplement.
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/eggs.html
Some people claim to avoid that by boiling egg shells in hot water. Even so, familiarizing chickens with their own egg shells may encourage egg breaking/eating from the nest, which should be avoided. Oyster shell is cheap enough, so I don't see the point of going to the trouble to prepare recycled egg shells for birds as supplemental calcium.

I think if an egg is so contaminated that it is dangerous to feed the shell back to the hen, then it probably wasn't a great idea for anyone/thing to have eaten the contents of the egg, either. Not that two wrongs will necessarily make a right, but certainly if one has confidence about the latter (the contents of the egg) then a certain amount of confidence in the former (the shell of the egg) is implied.

I've read a few things from avian veterinary sites that seem to be only marginally applicable to barnyard chickens. But I'm not a veterinarian, avian or otherwise. Chickens seem to be healthier when they're allowed to scratch around in their own litter to find things to eat ...

 

[Michael Apple]

I think if an egg is so contaminated that it is dangerous to feed the shell back to the hen, then it probably wasn't a great idea for anyone/thing to have eaten the contents of the egg, either. Not that two wrongs will necessarily make a right, but certainly if one has confidence about the latter (the contents of the egg) then a certain amount of confidence in the former (the shell of the egg) is implied.

I've read a few things from avian veterinary sites that seem to be only marginally applicable to barnyard chickens. But I'm not a veterinarian, avian or otherwise. Chickens seem to be healthier when they're allowed to scratch around in their own litter to find things to eat ...

Avian viruses vertically transmissible are not transmissible to humans so a human wouldn't be affected. Boiling shells in hot water can avoid that like I said. Even so I've never fed chicken's egg shells back to mine and don't know anyone else who does. Oyster shell is a cheap, convenient supplement, and a properly formulated diet provides enough quality calcium. Older birds tend to need supplemental calcium more than younger birds.

The production of eggs is something common to all avian species, so the link was certainly applicable. Scratching around in litter is something chickens will do without enough range space where grasses, seed, and bugs are available free choice. That doesn't ensure a nutritional balance though. It is customary to provide a well balanced feed for chickens since what they find on range is lacking in necessary nutrition. If that wasn't true we wouldn't supply feed for them.

 

[pheasant1]

They say commercial poultry layer pellets supply all the nutrients our birds need, but I agree with everyone that a dish of oyster shell on the side is a good thing. Especially for the continuous egg producers because you will notice thin shells the more eggs they produce.

 

[pheasant1]

I would be more worried about starting a bad habit of them eating their own eggs.