What sort of calcium/how much are commercial chicken fed.

[Lemon-Drop]

I have a question. I'm working on a research paper (not professional or anything). I can't find much information on what type of calcium (I'm assuming it's not free choice oyster shell) commercial chickens are fed.

I'm comparing backyard chickens to commercial (caged) chickens' eggs.

My main question is:
How, and how much calcium, are commercial chickens fed?


Thanks!

 

[igorsMistress]

I imagine it depends on each operation. For ease I’d guess the flocks get layer feed, one bowl for food and one for water, less work that way, but I searched and couldn’t find anything either. Maybe call a producer?

 

[NatJ]

My main question is:
How, and how much calcium, are commercial chickens fed?

The calcium is probably just included in the feed, at a rate that is supposed to be right.

That would be like the layer feed that is available for backyard flocks.

I'm comparing backyard chickens to commercial (caged) chickens' eggs.

Many people with backyard flocks feed layer feed too, since it's right there in the store with a lable that sounds right. Layer feed includes calcium at a rate that is supposed to be right for hens that are laying eggs (which is more calcium than found in chick starter or other feeds meant for chickens that are not laying.)

Chick starter tends to be around 1% calcium, with layer being around 4% calcium.
(Those are not exact numbers, just a ballpark figure.)

I'm working on a research paper (not professional or anything). I can't find much information on what type of calcium (I'm assuming it's not free choice oyster shell) commercial chickens are fed.

Here is a report on a study about calcium levels in feed for commercial laying hens:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5003974/

You can see that the calcium is included in the feed ("dicalcium phosphate" in the table of how much of each ingredient.)

That paper also lists a number of other authors who have published about the subject, with references to their works, so if you want to follow those references you can find other resources that way.

 

[3KillerBs]

Commercial layers are the birds that layer feed with calcium in it was designed for.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Ok, thank you everyone!