Two Questions About Oyster Shell

[Araucana Nest]

I've officially switched my flocks over to Purina Flock Raiser as recommended on another thread (well, all except the chicks in the brooders; I've quite a bit of chick starter in stock yet), which brings up a couple of oyster shell questions.
1) What type of feeder do you use for the oyster shell so they don't tip it over?
2) What is the difference, nutritionally speaking, between feeding oyster shell in a package and drying, baking, and crushing their egg shells to feed back to them?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use dishes that hook over a 2x4.

Oyster shells stay in the body much longer so the calcium is available overnight when most hens are making the eggs. Eggshells get digested fairly quickly, so hens will eat more of them.

 

[Araucana Nest]

I use dishes that hook over a 2x4.

Oyster shells stay in the body much longer so the calcium is available overnight when most hens are making the eggs. Eggshells get digested fairly quickly, so hens will eat more of them.

Thank you .

 

[jreardon1918]

A neighbor gave me a rabbit feeder. I use this just screwed into a wall of the run.

 

[Araucana Nest]

A neighbor gave me a rabbit feeder. I use this just screwed into a wall of the run.

Ah! Great idea. Thanks

 

[GemmaGA]

Question - is there anything wrong with scattering it on the ground in the run for them to eat free choice? We have an enclosed coop with a built in run and we scatter it, and we also tried mixing it in with feed (discussed on another similar post on Oyster shells) but should I really be putting it in a separate container/feeder? Will that make them more likely to eat it if they need it? Sorry for interloping on your thread @ Awakening Forest, but inquiring minds want to know!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Scattering is fine. You may waste more that way. They don't eat very much of it, so I guess some people think they need to encourage higher consumption. With anywhere from 50-80 hens here at any time I may use 2, 50 pound bags a year. Occasionally 3. I generally refill my container every few months.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

I made the bad habit once of mixing in eggshells now they scatter it all over in search of scrummy, but not as healthy eggshells. Learn from my mistake!

 

[Willow2253]

I use a heavy pie dish for oyster and eggshell. Sometimes they step in it and kick some out, but I don’t really mind because they’ll eat it off the ground just as easily as out of the dish.

 

[drinkoj]

I picked up some wall hanging planters at an auction for cheap so I hung it on the run fence with a rebar twist tie and drilled 3 small holes in the bottom of the planter. Did the same for the grit on the other side of the run.