they don't seem to be eating the oyster shells...

[SarahF]

My girls have been laying now for about 4 weeks (individually, all different times...i believe all 5 girls are laying now) and i have oyster shells (for calcium) in a seperate dish. I don't think they realize its there?!?! When i take a handful and throw it on the ground, they go nuts for it...but wouldnt they know where it is? and what it tastes like? Should I be mixing it with their food?

ALSO...they are outside all day in their run and than in the coop at night, do i need to supply grit? they poke around the ground all the time. If i give them treats from the kitchen, i rub it in dirt first, just incase. Is that not enough? I only feed them "feeder" pellets and oyster shells. I give them grass and fruit/veggies whenever i have it.

Thanks!

PS: DH and I found out we are having a girl!

and she's due Feb. 6th...just to keep everyone sorta up to date.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

on the ground is good. the only reason people are scittish about feed on the ground is that wet feed can mould and cause problems , oyster shell probably wont mould

? rubit in dirt first ?


I find they will eat it when they need it

congratulations !!!!!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Mine only eat it from the dish when they need it...and they know when they need it!

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, they eat it when they feel like they need it. I find my pullets hardly touch it but my year old layers gobble it down no problem.

 

[greyfields]

All livestock have an internal programming which makes them crave certain foods when their body begins lacking certain minerals. I know goats, for example, crave certain plants which are known to be medicinal to them when they don't feel their best.

So your chickens will start to crave the oyster shell when their calcium levels start to get depleted from all the egg laying. So give them time, and they will eventually eat more. Consider it a compliment that they don't, since it means their diet is well rounded.

I always provide grit becuase it's piss cheap and lasts forever. It's cheap insurance.

I nail these to my layer houses, one with grit the other oyster shell. If I get a third, I'll add salt mixed with phosphate rock:

http://www.enasco.com/ProductDetail.do?sku=C26649N

They go ape for it when you throw it on the ground because chickens just go ape for anything thrown on the ground. We call scratch feed "chicken crack" because of how they react. You could throw marbles down there and they'd probably all come running.

 

[Nyna]

I don't suppliment mine with grit. They free range and I have a big gravel driveway they poke around in all the time. I say if you have gravel around where they free range, they shouldn't need it.

Yeah! Baby! Congrats!

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Hahaha, no wonder the first ingredient on the list of scratch is crack-ed corn!

Mine go after everything I throw on the ground... even air.

 

[mdbucks]

Quote:
What is the mineral in the Reeses Cup I am craving?

And I dont appreciate bing called livestock, I'm simply big boned.

 

[greyfields]

I snarfed one of those down yesterday. You've reignited my craving.

 

[mdbucks]

there is two and a KIT KAT in frig but the kids will have a fit if I eat it, they will share, but dont want me to have on my own, so now i have to wait for them to get out of school.