What is a "treat" to you?

[BwakerBwaker19er]

Does anyone consider plain yogurt and dried oats treats? I give them that sometimes as a substitute for their morning pellets. I feel like it gives them some added calcium and change from their regular store-bought feed. They get the upgraded breakfast once or twice a week, with an occasional quarter watermelon that didn't get finished (maybe once a month).
Just curious if that seems too much.

 

[3KillerBs]

Does anyone consider plain yogurt and dried oats treats? I give them that sometimes as a substitute for their morning pellets. I feel like it gives them some added calcium and change from their regular store-bought feed. They get the upgraded breakfast once or twice a week, with an occasional quarter watermelon that didn't get finished (maybe once a month).
Just curious if that seems too much.

I think it's best to always keep their commercial feed available even if you're giving them something else.

 

[NatJ]

Does anyone consider plain yogurt and dried oats treats? I give them that sometimes as a substitute for their morning pellets. I feel like it gives them some added calcium and change from their regular store-bought feed. They get the upgraded breakfast once or twice a week, with an occasional quarter watermelon that didn't get finished (maybe once a month).
Just curious if that seems too much.

"Added calcium" is not always a good thing.
Too much calcium is bad.
Too little calcium is bad.
The commercial feed is supposed to have the right amount.

You can provide a dish of oyster shell, so the chickens can get more calcium if they need it. Oyster shell is good for this because it had plenty of calcium, and also does not spoil, so you can leave it available all the time.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

"Treats"? These ungrateful T-Rex wannabes should just be thankful their stomachs are getting filled and not ending up in my pot as far as I'm concerned.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Around here a treat is any edible that will immediately get any and all birds to cease chicken buisness for the shot at getting some.
If it causes that sort of chaos in a habitual creatures day then that's a treat.
Here it is bourbon fettuccini gummy candy, grape flavor only all other flavors are snubbed.
I save these 'treats' for times when I need everyone in one place quickly or if I need to medicate anyone.
It is unconventional but beyond effective.
My point is whatever treats you choose if any don't overdo and they'll serve you nicely in the future.

Wait, What? Please tell me more about this bourbon fettuccini gummy candy!!!! please.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

"Added calcium" is not always a good thing.
Too much calcium is bad.
Too little calcium is bad.
The commercial feed is supposed to have the right amount.

You can provide a dish of oyster shell, so the chickens can get more calcium if they need it. Oyster shell is good for this because it had plenty of calcium, and also does not spoil, so you can leave it available all the time.

i recently gave up on Manna pro oyster shells b/c noone was eating them. I went to the shore and recovered a bag of oyster shells. I think my girls are eating too much of it. Is this a thing? I wonder what can happen and also, how to identify a problem. Thank you and good luck!

 

[NatJ]

i recently gave up on Manna pro oyster shells b/c noone was eating them. I went to the shore and recovered a bag of oyster shells. I think my girls are eating too much of it. Is this a thing? I wonder what can happen and also, how to identify a problem. Thank you and good luck!

Hens are unlikely to eat too much oyster shell.
It can happen, but it's not common.

When a hen doesn't get enough calcium, her body takes some from her bones to make eggshells, and eventually she just makes softshell eggs and has weak bones too.

If your hens were not eating the other oyster shell, they might be deficient in calcium, and trying to eat more now to re-stock their bodies. Or they might just think it's a new treat.

Depending on how much they are eating, I might try one of these:
--just let it happen for a few days or a week, and see if the rate goes down.

--or measure out some amount each day, and put out that much. I'm thinking maybe a Tablespoon per hen per day. That should be more than they need, even if they are making up for past deficiencies, but will prevent them gobbling up really enormous amounts.

I would expect your hens to settle down to a reasonable rate of consumption fairly soon, but of course not every chicken does what I would expect.

Do they also have grit available? If not, you might try putting out some grit in a separate dish, in case the hens want some of it too-- I've read of someone's chickens that were eating large amounts of oyster shell when they had no grit available (The person found gizzards full of oyster shell at butchering time, which is quite unusual.)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

i recently gave up on Manna pro oyster shells b/c noone was eating them. I went to the shore and recovered a bag of oyster shells. I think my girls are eating too much of it. Is this a thing? I wonder what can happen and also, how to identify a problem. Thank you and good luck!

Calcium toxicity is progressive - but that also means it will take a long time, particularly in laying hens - before you can find evidence of it internally, much less externally.

I feed in a way I don't recommend, which results in my roosters getting about 1.6-1.8% more calcium per feeding than is optimum. A year later, when I take those roosters apart for my table, while there's evidence of extra calcium, there is almost no visible evidence internally. Certainly not the grey white calcium deposits lightly coating the organs (liver particularly) that you expect to see when the external signs begin to first appear.

In the short term, there is virtually no chance you hens will damage themselves trying out the new calcium source. I don't know how you treated your fresh harvested oyster shell, but its entirely possible if they weren't cleaned thoroughly and baked, that your birds are eating them because of something else present on the shell - either a trace mineral, or salt.

and, fwiw, many of us have had problems with Manna Pro Oyster being "poorly recieved" by our flocks. I know not why

 

[Ridgerunner]

i recently gave up on Manna pro oyster shells b/c noone was eating them.

Hens can get calcium from many different sources. That could be from the feed or treats we give them, from creepy crawlies they catch, or from some of the plants they eat if they forage. A common source can be the gravel they eat if your rock is calcium rich, like limestone. If they are getting plenty of calcium from other sources oyster shell may last years. Just because they aren't eating the oyster you give the doesn't mean they aren't getting enough calcium.

How were your egg shells? Were they thin and easily broken? Were they nice and hard? If the egg shells are OK your hens are getting enough calcium from somewhere. If they are not OK, you might have a problem.

Why do they like the shells you gather at the beach so much? I don't know for sure. If I take their everyday feed and put some in a new container, like I do when I have new chicks and want some close to the ground for them, the hens really freak out over that. They have to eat it until it's gone, even if it is exactly what is in their regular feeder. Maybe something like that is going on. How are their egg shells? Really hard?

If my egg shells were hard and they were not eating the oyster shell I offer them I'd be really happy. As it is I have to refill that oyster shell container every couple of months.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Calcium toxicity is progressive - but that also means it will take a long time, particularly in laying hens - before you can find evidence of it internally, much less externally.

I feed in a way I don't recommend, which results in my roosters getting about 1.6-1.8% more calcium per feeding than is optimum. A year later, when I take those roosters apart for my table, while there's evidence of extra calcium, there is almost no visible evidence internally. Certainly not the grey white calcium deposits lightly coating the organs (liver particularly) that you expect to see when the external signs begin to first appear.

In the short term, there is virtually no chance you hens will damage themselves trying out the new calcium source. I don't know how you treated your fresh harvested oyster shell, but its entirely possible if they weren't cleaned thoroughly and baked, that your birds are eating them because of something else present on the shell - either a trace mineral, or salt.

and, fwiw, many of us have had problems with Manna Pro Oyster being "poorly recieved" by our flocks. I know not why

Storm, thank you for your time and resources. I washed oysters with hose and laid them out in 91 degree weather for about 16hrs. I thought the same about the trace minerals....today i cracked open some SUPER hard egg shells. It seemed like there were 2 shells. Thats what originally got me thinking. Also, the rate at which they are consuming it. Trace minerals or not, i think they may be over doing it. I will offer about 6 tablespoons a day. Their feed is for layers as well as egg shells dried. They love that. I too have read that Manna Pro oyster shells are poorly received as well. My thinking is that, it may be a calcium source, but not necessarily oyster shells. Between the newly fermented feed and the oysters, i notice a positive difference in overall homeostasis it seems. I only have 5 hens and am fascinated with the behaviors and responses to foods. Thanks again everyone. Amazing knowledge i find here.