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[MBOETTCHER]

Oyster shells? like real oysters?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oyster shells? like real oysters?

You can use real oysters but I think it's maybe harder to grind and stuff, idk. They sell oyster shell and grit at all the farm stores.

I buy this stuff.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/manna-pro-oyster-shell-50-lb

 

[Gwynny7]

You can use real oysters but I think it's maybe harder to grind and stuff, idk. They sell oyster shell and grit at all the farm stores.

I buy this stuff.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/manna-pro-oyster-shell-50-lb

I use the same product from Tractor Supply for my guineas!! They like it I do believe it is crushed up oyster shells. Theoretically you could get oyster shells and do it yourself but I would not know how you would crush them up small enough to be eaten. You can feed your eggshells back to your guineas, they reabsorb the calcium that went into the eggshells to put into more eggs!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I use the same product from Tractor Supply for my guineas!! They like it  I do believe it is crushed up oyster shells.  Theoretically you could get oyster shells and do it yourself but I would not know how you would crush them up small enough to be eaten.  You can feed your eggshells back to your guineas, they reabsorb the calcium that went into the eggshells to put into more eggs!

Yeah, mine love it! The first day I put it down I had some go for it immediately, I didn't even have to teach them. But yeah, it would probably be a lot of work. Plus the fact of finding the oysters. For us there's a company in town and friends that we could probably get them from and my uncle eats a lot but then you gotta not only go get them but then go through all the work of grinding them up and everything. plus who knows if they're even clean or safe. I like just going to the store and buying it and being done with it haha I don't give the egg shells to my chickens but I have heard that and it's a good idea. But I worry about egg eating

 

[MeepBeep]

Whole corn here offers 18% protein actually.

You might want to actually reevaluate that protein factor as you have been fibbed to, dent corn only has 8-9% protein corn with an 18% protein content as you claim would revolutionize the industry if it existed... Also note that not all protein is created the same, so a % value is really not a good quantitative evaluation of protein in feed as a 16% good usable protein feed is actually better then a 18% poor quality unusable protein feed...

Chickens also need lysine and methoionine and those two amino acids are generally not found in sufficient quantities in plant based proteins, thus you will almost always see those two amino acids as supplements in a balanced feed...

 

[MeepBeep]

Oyster shells? like real oysters?

Yes, ground up real oysters, as said it can be found at most all feed stores...

If you can't find crushed oyster shells, you can go to a lawn and garden store or a brick laying company and see if you can find get crushed limestone paver base, do note not all paver bases are limestone so you need to pay attention to the content...

 

[Gwynny7]

Yeah, mine love it! The first day I put it down I had some go for it immediately, I didn't even have to teach them. But yeah, it would probably be a lot of work. Plus the fact of finding the oysters. For us there's a company in town and friends that we could probably get them from and my uncle eats a lot but then you gotta not only go get them but then go through all the work of grinding them up and everything. plus who knows if they're even clean or safe. I like just going to the store and buying it and being done with it haha I don't give the egg shells to my chickens but I have heard that and it's a good idea. But I worry about egg eating

Yeh I can't imagine sanitizing oyster shells! Way easier to buy the bag at tractor supply. I haven't noticed my guineas trying to eat their eggs.... From my research it doesn't seem like guineas try to eat their eggs.... Or let's put it simple they can't due to the super hard and thick shells!! The shells are thick since guineas are not the brightest and have sharp beaks! Are chickens prone to eating their eggs? I am not entirely sure since I have never owned chickens, though I am trying to convince my Dad to let me get a few chicks ;-)

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeh I can't imagine sanitizing oyster shells! Way easier to buy the bag at tractor supply. I haven't noticed my guineas trying to eat their eggs.... From my research it doesn't seem like guineas try to eat their eggs.... Or let's put it simple they can't due to the super hard and thick shells!! The shells are thick since guineas are not the brightest and have sharp beaks! Are chickens prone to eating their eggs? I am not entirely sure since I have never owned chickens, though I am trying to convince my Dad to let me get a few chicks ;-)

Yeah, definitely way too much effort than I care to put in lol besides, it's probably better quality anyway. And well, I don't really know if they're necessarily prone to it but I think it's more just like a bad behavioral habit. Like for instance if one breaks and they realize it tastes good. But I had one break like a week ago and they haven't tried to eat any eggs. I don't think it is too common and not really sure how often it occurs but I have heard of it a few times. I think it more is just really really hard to break once it starts.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oyster shells? like real oysters?

Also referred to as calcium carbonate.

 

[MeepBeep]

I haven't noticed my guineas trying to eat their eggs.... From my research it doesn't seem like guineas try to eat their eggs.... Or let's put it simple they can't due to the super hard and thick shells!! The shells are thick since guineas are not the brightest and have sharp beaks! Are chickens prone to eating their eggs? I am not entirely sure since I have never owned chickens, though I am trying to convince my Dad to let me get a few chicks ;-)

I have not experienced any of my chickens or guineas deliberately pecking open an egg and the guineas leave them all over the coop so there is plenty of opportunity, but if one happens to get cracked on accident and it's not in a nesting box my chickens and guineas will swarm it and eat it in no time...

If you do ever feed the shells back to the birds, it's best to bake them for a bit so that any egg residue is cooked and they thus won't develop a taste for 'raw' eggs...