Quail-sized Oyster Shell?

[coturnixquails]

My coturnix hens will be laying soon, and I wanted to give them some extra calcium. I looked at the oyster shell at my local farm store but the pieces were huge!
Is there oyster shell I can buy that will be more "quail-sized"? What do you guys use to provide calcium to quail?

Thanks!

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes. They do make "crushed" oyster shell, but sometimes it is hard to find. However if you go to a regular feed store, not TSC, you can usually find chipped oyster shell that is made for "automatic oyster shell dispensers". It comes in a 50 pound bag however. But it can be fed right from the bag.

If all else fails, you can crush up the regular stuff that you found on the shelf, with a rock. I had to do that for a time before I could locate some chipped shell. Pain in the rump.

 

[veggiecanner]

i think you would need a coffee grinder to break it down for them, Or some kind of food proccesor. Your going to need one to grind chick feed too.
I have an extra bowl for my food proccesor that I use for all kinds of things for the poultry now. I was able to find it at the thrift store.

 

[coturnixquails]

I have a Blendtec blender Gonna try crushing some oyster shell in there. I was able to get game bird chick food that was already "mashed" so I haven't to crush anything yet!

 

[el pollo rey]

I have a Blendtec blender Gonna try crushing some oyster shell in there. I was able to get game bird chick food that was already "mashed" so I haven't to crush anything yet!

You need a magic bullet I seen that thing on tv at like 3 am It crushed every thing put in it lol

 

[veggiecanner]

I have a Blendtec blender

Gonna try crushing some oyster shell in there. I was able to get game bird chick food that was already "mashed" so I haven't to crush anything yet!

I am going to have to mash mine. The feed is in 50 pound bags and I can' see buying some for chicks, some for growers, and then some for layers.

 

[creekrocket]

I Live On The Coast AndHave Access To As Much Oysters As I Need... Do Y'all Know If The Oysters Straight From TheRivers Will Be Ok For The Quail?

 

[GrandmaBird]

I would bake them to a very hot heat to kill any "germs" that might be on them then good luck trying to crush them as stated above they are a booger to mash.

 

[underground chickenman]

You only need to grind up the feed for the first day or two, and even then I think the whole idea is a bit overstated. They can find small enough particles in your average scoop of crumbles. For the first day or two after hatching, I have put a few scoops of feed in a gallon ziplock and rolled over it a few times with a rolling pin to break it up, but they eat it all, both big and small pieces. After that, they get regular crumbles with no smashing. Never had a problem. I have 96 cots right now in various stages of growth and all are doing just fine.

UGCM

 

[wishful suburbanite]

I have a Blendtec blender

Gonna try crushing some oyster shell in there. I was able to get game bird chick food that was already "mashed" so I haven't to crush anything yet!

lol "Will it blend?"

Yes, it will.