When to start oyster shell

[NRacine]

Hi everyone!
My girls are 27 weeks and not yet laying. They have red combs and are starting to do the squat, so I'm hoping they will start as soon as it warms up here.

My question is:
When do I start feeding oyster shell? Before or after they actually start laying? Right now they get about 50% of their feed from Layena which has some calcium in it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

You should only be giving them the Layer feed and/or the oyster shell if they are all ready laying.
I only give mine flock raiser and oyster shell on the side for free choice because I have different age f groups in my chicken house. The younger ones who aren't laying shouldn't have either.

 

[digitS']

I think that chickens are real good at self-regulating calcium. Altho' they seem to have little self-control with much of anything else . . .

As long as they are given a choice whether to eat it or not, they shouldn't eat the calcium if'n they don't need it.

I remember my roosters paying almost no attention to oyster shells, at all.

Steve

 

[cmom]

I put out free choice oyster shells when I get my first egg.

 

[berkeleysprings]

yesterday is the best time , just mix it up in there food , just a litle . i gave it to the chicks right away or should i say the silkie momma raising them showed them and momma knows best

 

[azelgin]

digitS' :

I think that chickens are real good at self-regulating calcium. Altho' they seem to have little self-control with much of anything else . . .

As long as they are given a choice whether to eat it or not, they shouldn't eat the calcium if'n they don't need it.

I remember my roosters paying almost no attention to oyster shells, at all.

Steve

I have to agree with this. I filled my chickens oyster shell bin in their coop a year ago. All of it is still in there. The egg shells are hard as a rock, so, they're getting their minerals somewhere else.​

 

[digitS']

Quote:
Could it be because the calcium carbonate lies just about on the surface of that Arizona desert soil, Azelgin?

Looking for CaCO could be why the hens like to dig such deep holes in my yard. It's about 30" to the caliche level . . . I'd rather give them oyster shells than turn them into miners

.

Steve

 

[azelgin]

digitS' :

Quote:
Could it be because the calcium carbonate lies just about on the surface of that Arizona desert soil, Azelgin?


Steve

It could be my hard water. Let your icewater melt and it looks like a glass of milk.