Two Questions About Oyster Shell

[Big Doggie]

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?

I took a 1 qt plastic container that originally had ice cream. Drilled 2 holes side by side and wired it to the run door. It’s high enough so they don’t poop in it and I drilled a few more holes in the bottom to let rain water out. Easy

 

[rosemarythyme]

As I don't have a very large flock I find parrot cage cups to be a good size for both grit and oyster shell, and no spill, even if chicks hop up on them. They easily hook into hardware cloth or welded wire.

 

[Araucana Nest]

As I don't have a very large flock I find parrot cage cups to be a good size for both grit and oyster shell, and no spill, even if chicks hop up on them. They easily hook into hardware cloth or welded wire.

Good idea!

 

[NatJ]

drying, baking, and crushing their egg shells to feed back to them?

a) no need to dry and bake, just give it a squish so it no longer looks like an egg

b) their own eggshells do not provide enough total calcium. They need about two eggshells each day to make one new one. So you need to provide shells from other eggs too, or also provide oyster shell.

we also tried mixing it in with feed

If you want it mixed into the feed, just buy layer feed.

The most common reason I see for using Flock Raiser plus oyster shell is that the chickens can choose how much oyster shell to eat (roosters and chicks mostly ignore it, laying hens need to eat some.) For that to work, the oyster shell must be separate.

is there anything wrong with scattering it on the ground in the run for them to eat free choice?

Scattering is fine, or a dish is fine.

The hens need to be able to find some any time they want it, so many people find it easier to check the amount in the dish rather than checking the ground in the run to be sure there is still some there. If you run has lots of litter for them to scratch around, it may be harder to tell if some oyster shell is still present.

Scattering "too much" oyster shell might be a cost problem or inconvenient for the person, but will not hurt the chickens.

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!

Eggshells are just fine. But you're right that chickens can learn to sort through a mix and waste the parts they don't want. Personally, I tend to serve oyster shell in a dish, and toss eggshells on the ground in the run. That way the chickens have access to both but do not make a mess trying to pick one kind or the other.

 

[Araucana Nest]

a) no need to dry and bake, just give it a squish so it no longer looks like an egg

b) their own eggshells do not provide enough total calcium. They need about two eggshells each day to make one new one. So you need to provide shells from other eggs too, or also provide oyster shell.

Thank you . I don't like to skip the drying and baking steps though -both are one step. What I give them is fine powder with no resemblance or smell of eggshell. After it is baked to drying, it goes in the vitamix and totally pulverized. It's not that much work though would be a lot simpler just to buy a bag of oyster shell, which is why I asked if they were nutritionally different.

 

[jreardon1918]

As I said up above I use a second hand rabbit feeder. The I failed to mention that I normally put a cardboard divider inside the feeder. One side is oyster shell. The other side is grit. I imagine you could do this with just about any container. I like a bit of separation as I think (don't know) that the girls will take just what they need. We have a small flock (7). We are still working on our first bag of each.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you . I don't like to skip the drying and baking steps though -both are one step. What I give them is fine powder with no resemblance or smell of eggshell. After it is baked to drying, it goes in the vitamix and totally pulverized. It's not that much work though would be a lot simpler just to buy a bag of oyster shell, which is why I asked if they were nutritionally different.

Oyster shell is fine, and simple is usually a good thing!

I've fed eggshells to chickens for decades. My usual method: collect shells in a bowl on the kitchen counter, take it outside each day and dump the shells in the chicken run, step on any shell that still looks like half an egg. No problems with egg eating, no fussing with oven and vitamix.

If you enjoy baking and grinding eggshells, you certainly can--but notice that oyster shell is sold as pieces, not a fine powder. Chickens seem to like their food in pieces to pick up. Things only need to be finely ground if they are going to be mixed together and made into pellets or mash.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have a thick plastic container (a couple # of screws came in it, i think) screwed to the inside wall of my hen house near the ramp for my chicks, and another down closer to the floor under the house for my ducks. Going through it very slowly.

Also throw them spent egg shells, though we don't generate enough shells to meet their needs, if one of the birds does seem unusually greedy for shells (currently, one of my ducks that doesn't care for my 50# bag of white oyster shell), I know they are needy and to be observed. Others of my layers will either ignore, or only nibble at, the "extra" egg shells. The Oyster seems to provide them good, steady source - while egg seems to satisfy "cravings".

 

[Araucana Nest]

Oyster shell is fine, and simple is usually a good thing!

I've fed eggshells to chickens for decades. My usual method: collect shells in a bowl on the kitchen counter, take it outside each day and dump the shells in the chicken run, step on any shell that still looks like half an egg. No problems with egg eating, no fussing with oven and vitamix.

If you enjoy baking and grinding eggshells, you certainly can--but notice that oyster shell is sold as pieces, not a fine powder. Chickens seem to like their food in pieces to pick up. Things only need to be finely ground if they are going to be mixed together and made into pellets or mash.

They haven't had issues with the powder - seem to eat it quickly which goes with the suggestion they need more of it - but I have had issues with some hens taking a liking to eggs. Maybe there is no correlation but it has kept the sanity around here

 

[claudiabostic]

The finer you crush the eggshells, the quicker it will go through the birds digestion. That's why oyster shell lasts longer in the digestive tract, its bigger pieces. As long as the shell pieces don't look like a whole shell, they won't give the chickens the idea to break eggs and eat them. I also find that my birds eat more oyster shell if I scatter it on the ground than if I put it in a dish. Another good source of calcium is freeze dried black soldier fly larvae. It takes a while for the chickens to get used to them, but after a week or so they should be eating them with gusto. I also find that my roosters don't eat very much of the BSF larvae compared to what my hens eat. I do also give out dried mealworms so the roosters have some treats too. I give my chickens all of these, the eggshells plus oyster shell and BSF worms. Now it's rare to see a soft shelled egg.