Purina Layena?

[bluelucky]

I was wondering if I need to be feeding my 7 -18 week old RIR chicks Oyster shells with the Purina Layena crumbles?
I have had them on the Layena for a week now and I know eggs will be coming soon..
All comments welcome..

 

[Fred's Hens]

That's fine, what you are doing.

I wouldn't "mix" the calcium carbonate in the feed. I'd offer it free choice, in a side feeder.
As far as recommending or not recommending Purina, you'll get a lot of strong opinions on that. I don't think it is bad feed, but my goodness, the price. No way I feed it. I'd be broke very quickly. LOL

 

[Johnboy78]

I use Layena and have separate bowls for oyster shell and for grit
in different places in my yard. The oyster shell and grit gradually
disappear, seems like a "every so often" kind of thing.

Since it's not an everyday thing like feeding it does run out periodically
and it's one of the things I have to drive some distance to get.

The shells are definitely harder to break when they have have a constant supply
of oyster shell. But they are not thin when I run out, an occasional egg gets kicked
out of the nesting bucket and it is an 18" drop to the ground, I find it unbroken on the ground.
So the shells are still much tougher than supermarket eggs.
Do they need to be hard enough to require multiple hits on my granite countertop to crack?
Probably not. I still offer them oyster shell but I don't worry if I run out for a while.

 

[carladababe]

I use Layena crumbles, have so ever since they started laying. The seem to like it just fine, but the cost depends I guess on how many chickens you have to feed. Everything costs more now. I blend my own scratch from cracked corn, milo, and black oil sunflower seeds from 50lb bags at the MFA. Corn is going to cost more because of the drought.

 

[Mattemma]

I give it and grit seperate.Layena went up $2.Almost $18 now.Oyster and grit last a long time.

 

[growyourbrew]

I agree. Separate. Oyster shell as free choice. I actually haven't given them any in over a year and they're fine. I do feed them their cooked crushed shells though. Seems to work fine.

 

[Headgear]

I have ag lime around the outside of my barn where the cows stand around. the chickens love to scratch in it. Does anyone know if that is a good source of calcium for them?