What did they do for calcium in the old days?

[donrae]

Depends on what mean by "old days".

Oyster shells, and Lime was the most common.

On a side note;
The chickens we have to day are nothing like they had in the old days (before poultry feed). Most of today's chickens would be walking skeletons and lay very little eggs if they had to survive solely on free ranging.

Chris

This.
The birds simply didn't lay at the rate they do today, thus needed less calcium. I know my Ozark Grandma fed eggshells back to her birds, and spoiled dairy went to the chicken also. Honestly, they possibly ate a lot more bones than birds today do. But again, Grandma's birds didn't lay near the amount mine do.

 

[LunaticCafe]

In older books on chicken keeping, they often recommend giving excess milk to the chickens.

 

[galanie]

They did indeed. But it was raw milk. Pasteurized milk straight from the carton will give them problems. I know you aren't saying to do that but just in case someone else comes along thinking to do that. Needs to be either raw milk or fermented stuff like buttermilk or yogurt, even kefir.

 

[ChickenJerk]

They did indeed. But it was raw milk. Pasteurized milk straight from the carton will give them problems. I know you aren't saying to do that but just in case someone else comes along thinking to do that. Needs to be either raw milk or fermented stuff like buttermilk or yogurt, even kefir.

Really - How so?

 

[ChickenJerk]

Did you know that the calcium in the egg shells comes from the hen's bones. The dietary calcium first goes to the bones and then is transported, in a different form to the shell making process. And you can feed them all the Calcium they can eat but without Vitamin D3 you will still have egg shell problems.

 

[galanie]

The pasteurization process kills the enzymes in raw milk that make it easily digestible. It's the lactose that makes it hard to digest. Raw milk contains an enzyme that helps break down lactose in the system. I believe it's lactase. Cultured milk has had organisms introduced that break down the lactose before it's eaten.

 

[Chris09]

Milk is a good sours of calcium but there are other foods that are much higher in calcium and all around better for them.

Calcium (mg/kg)
Milk 9675
Mustard Greens Raw 11196
Turnip Greens Raw 18393
Spinach 11512

Also keep in mind that Calcium isn't the only thing you need for Strong egg shells and healthy birds, you a proper balance of Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin D and Magnesium for the age of the fowl.

Chris

 

[centrarchid]

Milk is a good sours of calcium but there are other foods that are much higher in calcium and all around better for them.

Calcium (mg/kg)
Milk 9675
Mustard Greens Raw 11196
Turnip Greens Raw 18393
Spinach 11512

Also keep in mind that Calcium isn't the only thing you need for Strong egg shells and healthy birds, you a proper balance of Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin D and Magnesium for the age of the fowl.

Chris

The plant route is simpler for ensuring proper mineral intake. Manage pasture to contain high calcium plant species and make certain lime applications are liberal. Consumption of greens in addition to sunlight exposure will address calcium mobility in the body with respect to absorption and transfer from medullary bone to eggs.

During much of year I do not use supplemental calcium in the form of oystershell or other items consumed directly by birds.

Also, somebody needs to look into availabilty of calcium in eggshell. For some reason I think it may not be a good source of usualable calcium. Also some plants upon ingestion can be stingy with their mineral content owing to various chelating compounds tying up the nutritients.

 

[Chris09]

You are correct centrarchid;


Quote:http://www.zootecnicainternational....-size-and-calcium-level-for-laying-hens-.html


Quote:http://www.zootecnicainternational....-size-and-calcium-level-for-laying-hens-.html
What I get for this is if you do not add Oyster Shell to your poultry diet the eggshell do no good.

Chris

 

[TenOC]

When I lived on a farm (with an out-house and with out running water) so I assume I am "in the older days" the chicken free-range and eat bugs and table scraps. The eggs shells were thrown out with the other household trash that the chickens picked through. We did not "feed" them the egg shells, but I am sure that they eat them. We were too poor to buy feed for them so they were free-range garbage disposals . Bugs (and baby mice etc) have a lot of calcium. We never had "soft shell" eggs. But each hen only laid about 4 eggs a week during the prime season - not the 5 or 6 that "modern" hens lay.