Too Much Oyster Shells!

[Pork Pie]

I use Faithway feed and mix wheat and scratch with it. I raise mealworms and give them as treats about once or twice a week. My hens are about 6 to 7 months old. I had one lay a egg today that looks like a goose egg. Don't see how she did it. Maybe the rooster laid it? LOL

Just look for the hen thats waddling like a duck!

CT

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ll bet that egg has two yolks. It’s not unusual for a hen to occasionally have a glitch in her egg making factory and lay one of those, especially pullets just starting to lay.

Wyorp, consider 25 pullets just starting to lay eating a liter of oyster shell a day. I don’t think my rabbit feeder holds that much. That is an unbelievable amount of oyster shell. It would be interesting to put a game camera on that and see what is taking the oyster shell. I just can’t see it being 25 pullets.

I also would not restrict them to once or twice a week. They need it for their egg shells more often than that. I just can’t believe it’s the chickens eating that much.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

I’ll bet that egg has two yolks. It’s not unusual for a hen to occasionally have a glitch in her egg making factory and lay one of those, especially pullets just starting to lay.

Wyorp, consider 25 pullets just starting to lay eating a liter of oyster shell a day. I don’t think my rabbit feeder holds that much. That is an unbelievable amount of oyster shell. It would be interesting to put a game camera on that and see what is taking the oyster shell. I just can’t see it being 25 pullets.

I also would not restrict them to once or twice a week. They need it for their egg shells more often than that. I just can’t believe it’s the chickens eating that much.

I found this thread because three days ago I started giving my 4 month old bantams oyster shell and they are scarfing it up!! They are spilling it, too, but they are eating it off the ground and from the little crock I put it in. Mine have access to chick grit and eat Scratch & Peck feeds... I just added the Layer to their Grower. I'm thinking it is a novelty interest...all this over-indulgence in oyster shell! My two cockerels are also overeating it!! What funny little birds. I'm going to track if their consumption rate slows.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I’ve read somewhere that with Scratch and Peck they sometimes don’t eat the “fines” - which might be where the calcium is. Mine ate huge quantities of OS when I first offered it to them. Now they eat much less.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I’ve read somewhere that with Scratch and Peck they sometimes don’t eat the “fines” - which might be where the calcium is. Mine ate huge quantities of OS when I first offered it to them. Now they eat much less.

That's true. I use Scratch & Peck, and the company recommends fermenting it to avoid that problem. I just use the fines to make mash every couple of days.

 

[Folly's place]

These diets appear unbalanced as fed, and the oyster shell is making up in part for the calcium deficiency issues. Most layer feeds are meant to be fed as an exclusive feed to actively laying hens in confinement, so adding wheat and scratch messes up their balanced ration.
Whole seed diets are often eaten selectively, at least by some individuals, who are then malnourished, and won't do well.
Mary

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would try a different feeder and see if it makes a difference. My guess is they are scratching it away.

 

[Folly's place]

I have oyster shell in a galvanized feeder, the same type as every other galvanized feeder, in a corner of the coop. It gets eaten slowly, and refilled as needed. Because I feed an all-flock feed rather than a layer type, the oyster shell does get used.
Mary

 

[Aunt Angus]

I love Scratch & Peck. My birds are doing better than ever on it. Better production, better feathers, better all the way around. I do make the mash every couple of days, and I am trying the fermented now. It's good stuff, and my birds love it. I use the grower for the additional protein for my big girls who are still growing and because I have cockerels. Also, it is the only feed I've found without corn or soy. Plus it's organic. My birds slao free range part of every day. But def try the mash or the fermenting. It's worth it, imo.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

I’ve been fermenting it and they love that. I do wonder if they are just overexcited about something new! They also have “eaten” the dust bath I made for them and yet not actually used it for bathing! Bird brains I guess! But of course my chickens are prodigies!!