Too Much of a Good Thing... Calcium Edition

[Dogs Cows Chicken]

When 4 of my 5 pullets became laying hens, I expected oyster and egg shell consumption to increase by 400%, but it really seems like it's more. I'm having trouble keeping the feeder from being empty some days, and my youngsters are still just laying tiny eggs. The shells are as hard as granite though. not really, but they are strong shells.

I want to be sure that the supplement is always out as free choice to whoever needs it, but is too much of a good thing possible in this situation? It reminds me of when my mom caught me eating my Flintstone vitamins like candy.

What should I do?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You should relax.

Plenty of studies show that hens are very good at self-regulating calcium intake. That has also been my personal experience (worthless anecdote) and the experience of many other posters here on BYC. Assemble enough worthless anecdotes and it starts to look like potentially useful experiential data. Which just happens to support the study findings.

 

[Shadrach]

Laying hens, or laying pullets require somewhere between 4 grams to 5 grams of calcium daily. If you are concerend about their calcium intake then weigh what you give them, divide that by the number of laying hens and pullets you have and see if it approximately matches the above estimate.
Bear in mind small eggs will require less than the estimate above so the breed of your hens, the regularity if their laying and their egg size all need to be taken into account.

 

[16 and me]

Some of my pullet eggs remained small only ever so gradually increasing in size, while others grew quicker. Seems to me certain breeds just take longer, but I don't know if that's a thing. My Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Red eggs seemed to stay small longer while my Black Copper Marans and mixed breeds eggs seemed to grow faster. Like yours though, the egg shell was good and strong. What is the protein content of your feed, and do you add treats? Higher protein lends toward larger eggs, but you have to be careful not to go overboard with it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They might be eating more calcium because it's something new and novel, if they didn't have it available before. Or it's just their bodies telling them they need it, so they're intaking more now and will slow down as they adjust to being layers. Do you have non soluble/digestive grit available as well? If not, sometimes birds may end up eating shells to make up for the lack of grit.

 

[Dogs Cows Chicken]

Some of my pullet eggs remained small only ever so gradually increasing in size, while others grew quicker. Seems to me certain breeds just take longer, but I don't know if that's a thing. My Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Red eggs seemed to stay small longer while my Black Copper Marans and mixed breeds eggs seemed to grow faster. Like yours though, the egg shell was good and strong. What is the protein content of your feed, and do you add treats? Higher protein lends toward larger eggs, but you have to be careful not to go overboard with it.

I'm weighing the eggs when I gather them. They are all
growing. I feed S&P 18% layer mash+ corn right now. They do get treats. A small sprinkle of meal worms or crickets in the morning, They also get leftover veggies and meats from, the household.

 

[Dogs Cows Chicken]

They might be eating more calcium because it's something new and novel, if they didn't have it available before. Or it's just their bodies telling them they need it, so they're intaking more now and will slow down as they adjust to being layers. Do you have non soluble/digestive grit available as well? If not, sometimes birds may end up eating shells to make up for the lack of grit.

They have had access to supplements since they've been integrated with my other hen, roughly 12 weeks ago. They have access to both S&P Starter and Layer grit, in a dish and sprinkled around the run.

 

[Dogs Cows Chicken]

Laying hens, or laying pullets require somewhere between 4 grams to 5 grams of calcium daily. If you are concerend about their calcium intake then weigh what you give them, divide that by the number of laying hens and pullets you have and see if it approximately matches the above estimate.
Bear in mind small eggs will require less than the estimate above so the breed of your hens, the regularity if their laying and their egg size all need to be taken into account.

Thanks for that specific measurement. I will certainly check that tomorrow.

 

[Dogs Cows Chicken]

You should relax.

Plenty of studies show that hens are very good at self-regulating calcium intake. That has also been my personal experience (worthless anecdote) and the experience of many other posters here on BYC. Assemble enough worthless anecdotes and it starts to look like potentially useful experiential data. Which just happens to support the study findings.

Lucky me! I'm here for the anecdotes AND the info!

 

[FrostRanger]

They also might be wasting some of it. I was going through a lot of oyster shell and grit before I improved my system. Now I go through it at a more reasonable rate