Time to add Oyster Shell?

[MrsCluckadoodledo]

My chickens are 16 weeks old now. I feed an all flock due to having roosters and turkeys. I haven’t gotten any eggs yet but should I start them on oyster shell now? Getting worried as my friend who got chicks out of the same batches already has eggs from her 16 &17 weeks olds but she feeds layer pellets.

 

[WildNectarine]

Offering oyster shell free choice is perfectly fine for any age besides brooder chicks, they’ll eat what they need, ignore it if they don’t; brooder chicks might get confused.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yes you can provide it now, it won't hurt anybody. Only those who need it will help themselves. Hope you get some eggs soon, too!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

You might want to look for flaked oyster shell. I had regular (chunks) oyster shell out from about 14 weeks on, and they never touched it. When the first one started laying at ~18-19 weeks, she had several no-shell eggs, and I started adding egg shells, which she ate.

I found flaked oyster shell, and they seem more interested in that, and the shells are great. Since I ferment their feed, I might crush some of the bigger oyster shell chunks and add it to the ferment.

- When pullets first start laying, it's not unusual to have some weird eggs, strange timing, etc., so this might not have been a calcium problem. But I'm happy that they're eating the flaked shells.