When is the right time to feed oyster shell to chickens?

[lazy gardener]

Quote:
I don't have grit for them but they free range and when they are locked in their run their are sections of dirt/ small pebbles. Will that work? Or should I put a container of grit too? It will probably take me another 3-4 weeks to go through that feed.. hopefully sooner now that the weather is getting cold and their are less bugs for them. The weather man is calling for snow tonight! Ugh!


Absolutely. I ask because not all flock owners have bony soil! Some soils are made of fine silt, or even clay that is totally void of tough pebbles.

When my ground is frozen for months on end, I do supply grit, and they seem to enjoy it. they attack a bowl full of grit like it's popcorn!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I always have grit and OS on offer, and my girls are probably going to stay on grower. I don't plan on using layer feed at all, unless there's absolutely nothing else I can give them. I figure they'll take the amount of calcium they need from the OS.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Only those who need the calcium will consume significant amounts of the oyster shell. Others might peck at it out of curiosity, but that's about it. I have always kept mixed flocks so only some of the birds "need" oyster shell at any given time, the shell itls always out and i have yet to have a nonlaying bird give it more than a cursory peck or two

 

[#lovemychickens]

This may be a dumb question...how would it work in the spring time when I get more baby chicks and eventually put them with the laying hens? Do you switch the whole flock to grower feed and have oyster shell out? If any of the little ones eat the oyster shell or if you keep the layers on layer feed could it kill the baby chicks if they eat it?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This may be a dumb question...how would it work in the spring time when I get more baby chicks and eventually put them with the laying hens? Do you switch the whole flock to grower feed and have oyster shell out? If any of the little ones eat the oyster shell or if you keep the layers on layer feed could it kill the baby chicks if they eat it?

When feedfing a mixed flock layer is not appropriate. Yes, the excess calcium out layer feed is dangerous to chicks and can have serious long term health implications. Grower with os is safe because, as noted above, chicks will investigate and then ignore os, not consuming an amount sufficient to pose a hazard

 

[aart]

This may be a dumb question...how would it work in the spring time when I get more baby chicks and eventually put them with the laying hens? Do you switch the whole flock to grower feed and have oyster shell out? If any of the little ones eat the oyster shell or if you keep the layers on layer feed could it kill the baby chicks if they eat it?

Not dumb at all...what to feed when can be a hotly debated subject....you'll have to decide how/what you want to feed.

Speaking of integrating chicks, check this out:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Here's what I feed and why:
I like to feed a flock raiser/starter/grower/finisher type feed with 20% protein crumble full time to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat. I do grind up the crumbles (in the blender) for the chicks for the first week or so.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer. I adjust the amounts of other feeds to get the protein levels desired with varying situations.
Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container. I also regularly offer digestive granite grit in the appropriate size, throw it out on the ground with the scratch. http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf

Animal protein (a freshly trapped mouse, mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided once in while and during molting and/or if I see any feather eating.