Too much calcium

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you for the information. I hope you had time for lunch.

I did, thanks.

Organic feed for chicken tends to be expensive and nutritionally sub-par. I wish you every fortune in your search.

[I think you will find most of us prefer to get our nutrients as tasty food, not pills - Milk has LOTS of good things going for it other than Calcium, assuming you aren't lactose intolerant, of course]

 

[C Siena]

I did, thanks.

Organic feed for chicken tends to be expensive and nutritionally sub-par. I wish you every fortune in your search.

[I think you will find most of us prefer to get our nutrients as tasty food, not pills - Milk has LOTS of good things going for it other than Calcium, assuming you aren't lactose intolerant, of course]

I have read that some people who are lactose intolerant are able to drink raw milk as it is not processed and nothing added. I just returned from picking up our milk, just milked 1.5 hours ago. It's in ice water now.

It's time consuming to go over the nutrients in foods to get what one needs. In supplements, I have to watch any anti-nutrients. I know that coffee/caffeine is an anti-nutrient and will take nutrients from my body/bones. So I no longer have 3 cups but 1-1.5 and 2-3 days a week 0, ugh. It's not the caffeine but I like the taste of a good dark espresso. I drink my milk first, take care of the chickens and then have my coffee. The anti-nutrient effects will last several hours even for 1 cup. I'm still learning.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have read that some people who are lactose intolerant are able to drink raw milk as it is not processed and nothing added.

That's not how lactose intolerance works. Though its possible they are reacting to something else, which they have simply misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance. I've been doing some reading, may be developing a bit of that myself as I age, though its only at the mildly socially embarrassing level (at most) currently, not actually uncomfortable yet. In short, not enough to start avoiding milk (which I don't consume much of as is) or to switch to Lactaid brand ice cream. and of course aged cheeses cause no issues at all.

 

[C Siena]

If you're getting good results then what you're doing is fine for you.

Since you're using layer feed which is usually around 4% calcium (vs around 1% in an all flock), you're already adding in extra calcium via the feed in addition to the eggshells.

I feed both layer and starter so my calcium via feed is closer to 2%, which isn't enough by itself to maintain eggshell strength, hence the need to supplement oyster as they can't recycle enough from their own eggshells alone.

Are you using both because you have chicks, using up supply or want to raise the protein or something else?

At the rate they are eating cicadas instead of some of the layer feed, and eating the starter, they were gobbling down the egg shells today. More than the past few days. We have 5 qt jars of crushed egg shells and powdered e shells. We'll have more on Sunday. I will keep the dish full and watch what they ingest per day. At some point we will purchase OS as due to the additional pullets, I don't think we will have enough ES to go around.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are you using both because you have chicks, using up supply or want to raise the protein or something else?

At the rate they are eating cicadas instead of some of the layer feed, and eating the starter, they were gobbling down the egg shells today. More than the past few days. We have 5 qt jars of crushed egg shells and powdered e shells. We'll have more on Sunday. I will keep the dish full and watch what they ingest per day. At some point we will purchase OS as due to the additional pullets, I don't think we will have enough ES to go around.

I use both layer (dry) and starter (fermented) because my birds really like their layer pellets and a pelleted feed works best in my dry feeders. But to keep protein up and calcium low (I have a number of older birds which are sporadic layers or no longer lay) the starter is their main feed.

OS overall is a fairly cheap supplement, and by mixing in eggshells I can get a bag of it to last a long time (a 10 lb bags lasts me about 2 years), so I feel it's a worthwhile investment.

 

[C Siena]

I use both layer (dry) and starter (fermented) because my birds really like their layer pellets and a pelleted feed works best in my dry feeders. But to keep protein up and calcium low (I have a number of older birds which are sporadic layers or no longer lay) the starter is their main feed.

OS overall is a fairly cheap supplement, and by mixing in eggshells I can get a bag of it to last a long time (a 10 lb bags lasts me about 2 years), so I feel it's a worthwhile investment.

Thank you. So your older hens do not eat the OS ES?

6 of our hens just turned 2 (they are the oldest) and I was thinking they could remain on layer until 4ish. Would that be close?

During molt, I mixed the layer 16% with a 24% (I cannot remember what I purchased) to achieve 20%. They were on it for several weeks during the molt. I want to care for them properly and give them a good life. Some that are only supposed to lay 3-4 a week, have consistently layed 5 a week.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you. So your older hens do not eat the OS ES?

No they don't. The younger active layers also don't touch it in winter when they're molting/post molting, which gives me a bit of time to build up my eggshell stores again.

6 of our hens just turned 2 (they are the oldest) and I was thinking they could remain on layer until 4ish. Would that be close?

During molt, I mixed the layer 16% with a 24% (I cannot remember what I purchased) to achieve 20%. They were on it for several weeks during the molt. I want to care for them properly and give them a good life. Some that are only supposed to lay 3-4 a week, have consistently layed 5 a week.

That probably works well enough. I feed more starter in fall/winter to help offset the calcium even more.

Frankly I'd rather switch to a grower pellet but non-layer pelleted feed is harder to find, and the last one I tried the birds simply hated it to the point that I gave up after 3 or 4 bags of it.

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

You could also buy a generic Poultry Mix which has a mixture of grains with lots of protein, and also various small sea shells to provide calcium to laying hens. Non-layers just ignore the shells.

I provide this in a few feeder box stations around the yard on on the porch. And throw them the odd mouse or poached eggs for extra protein.

I also crush up the shells of my flocks' eggs in a calico bag, then just pour it on a spot in the yard. When they need it, they eat it.

 

[BDutch]

@chickpeatay , how is your sick chicken now?

I have been reading through this thread and see it was highjacked with questions and responses about calcium and what to feed your chickens.
Responding with even more different ways of doing things.

I think first we have to get a better idea of what might be wrong with her. I think you're right to take her off the layer pellets since she's not laying, but it's almost impossible to feed one chicken something different. They can all eat the chick feed if you supply oyster shell.

Chickens can choose if you offer 2 kinds of feed. Since my last broody experience last year I give layer pellets in one container and chick feed in another.
My oldest who stopped laying only eats the chick feed. The others eat both. Oyster flakes and eggshells (preferred) on the side. Plenty of grit in the garden.

I did, thanks.

Organic feed for chicken tends to be expensive and nutritionally sub-par. I wish you every fortune in your search.

[I think you will find most of us prefer to get our nutrients as tasty food, not pills - Milk has LOTS of good things going for it other than Calcium, assuming you aren't lactose intolerant, of course]

Organic is more expensive but doesn’t contain poisons. It’s healthier. And your chickens won’t get sick from poisons in the feed.

The amount of poisons that get it the feed comes from farms who often use a lot of herbicides and pesticides. The corn, soy and wheat in the chicken feed often has so much poisons in it, that it isn’t allowed as food for humans. Because people might get health problems from it.

It’s not much of a problem for the chickens in the food industry because they only live max 2 years anyway. So there is no problem if these chickens would die at 4 years of age bc of all the poisons they have been eating for years.

Besides this there is proof (research in NL) that chicks who had organic chick feed overcome sickness quicker than chicks who had non-organic/GMO feed.

Maybe nice to know for newcomers. I have rarely had sick chickens. And I have 2, 10yo bantam chickens who still lay. And one that is 11. She stopped laying and was a bit ‘under the weather’ for a few weeks. Now she is definitely looking better and moving around as usual, jumps on the coop roof (4” / 120 cm) again. Of course this is also possible because my bantams are not inbreeded so much as industrial laying hybrids. And they have free range time most days. But I’m convinced the organic feed is important too for longevity.

Ini mini my 11 yo a few weeks ago in front. And Black one of my 10yo behind her. Both eating toasted non organic baguette from the shop. I definitely give more than 10% treats/scratch. Probably around 30-40 scratch and left overs, which is fine in combination with fee ranging.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Besides this there is proof (research in NL) that chicks who had organic chick feed overcome sickness quicker than chicks who had non-organic/GMO feed.

Link please. There are a lot of assumptions implicit in that statement, I'd like to see the research.