Young chickens oyster shell dilemma

[Saveria]

Yeah, I can't imagine a reality where chicks are shoveling down the oyster shells (it is hard enough to get hens to eat it) but it is a good point to be really careful of their calcium intake.

 

[Saveria]

Sampling no. Just how much "sampling" is going on. You can't keep them from "sampling" too much. So just keep it away period. The whole reason why starter, NOT layer, is fed to the babies. The calcium is already calculated for the babies. So any more "Sampling" is more than the amount recommended.

Also there is no need for extra calcium to be put in the brooder for the hen. She is not producing eggs at this time anyway. So why have it in there at all.

I think you have to weigh things out. I know the hen is not laying right now, but she will be soon, and was in the past. When she does lay again, if her eggs don't have the calcium she needs to form properly because she hasn't had any in weeks, you have a whole other host of problems. I am guessing that the chicks mildly perusing the oyster shells is less of a life threatening issue.

 

[Mouthpear]

She was attacked by a raccoon and hasn’t laid any eggs in almost a month.

I don't think it has anything to do with being attacked. Most likely it is because she has babies to take care of. Broody hens will stop laying for several months. It is all about the timing. She won't lay anymore since they all need to hatch around the same time. if there are any new one or ones that haven't hatched they will have to abandon them or stay with them. Of course she will more likely choose to take care of the ones already hatched. So they don't lay in this time so the dilemma is avoided.

 

[Brooks_]

I think you have to weigh things out. I know the hen is not laying right now, but she will be soon, and was in the past. When she does lay again, if her eggs don't have the calcium she needs to form properly because she hasn't had any in weeks, you have a whole other host of problems. I am guessing that the chicks mildly perusing the oyster shells is less of a life threatening issue.

Good way of saying risk tolerance. Either way there will be some risk.

 

[Brooks_]

I don't think it has anything to do with being attacked. Most likely it is because she has babies to take care of. Broody hens will stop laying for several months. It is all about the timing. She won't lay anymore since they all need to hatch around the same time. if there are any new one or ones that haven't hatched they will have to abandon them or stay with them. Of course she will more likely choose to take care of the ones already hatched. So they don't lay in this time so the dilemma is avoided.

Could you point to where op said broody? I don't recall seeing that.

 

[Saveria]

I don't think it has anything to do with being attacked. Most likely it is because she has babies to take care of. Broody hens will stop laying for several months. It is all about the timing. She won't lay anymore since they all need to hatch around the same time. if there are any new one or ones that haven't hatched they will have to abandon them or stay with them. Of course she will more likely choose to take care of the ones already hatched. So they don't lay in this time so the dilemma is avoided.

But the OP never said anything about her being broody? They don't just become broody in the presence of younger birds, being broody is more of a hormonal state.

 

[Mouthpear]

I think you have to weigh things out.

It is better to weight on the side of caution that on the side of error. If you are already feeding starter then why have extra that can affect them in life, as opposed to NOT having it there and they already have what they need from the feed.

less of a life threatening issue

Never said it was life threatening. I said it stunts their growth. That can be anything from not being able to lay or have any number of disabilities.

I know the hen is not laying right now, but she will be soon, and was in the past. When she does lay again, if her eggs don't have the calcium she needs to form properly

It doesn't take long at all for the hens to get back up to the calcium levels they need to be at. Heck they don't even really need that extra calcium in the wild. It's not like they have bowls of shell out there.

 

[Mouthpear]

Could you point to where op said broody? I don't recall seeing that.

I said it. I am explaining that aspect. Many times when a hen is placed with chicks they take on the mother hen role, aka broody.

 

[Mouthpear]

Good way of saying risk tolerance. Either way there will be some risk.

Yeah but why ADD risk when that risk doesn't need to be there.

 

[Saveria]

It is better to weight on the side of caution that on the side of error. If you are already feeding starter then why have extra that can affect them in life, as opposed to NOT having it there and they already have what they need from the feed.

I am kind of confused by this statement. The laying hen is the one not getting what she needs.

Never said it was life threatening. I said it stunts their growth. That can be anything from not being able to lay or have any number of disabilities.

Yeah, I think you are right about this when you feed layer feed all the time to young hens, but I can't sign off on oyster shell being present being able to do that. Why would hundreds of people be telling others to use oyster shells and all flock feed instead of hundreds of people warning others that this act would cause deformed birds?

It doesn't take long at all for the hens to get back up to the calcium levels they need to be at. Heck they don't even really need that extra calcium in the wild. It's not like they have bowls of shell out there.

It depends on how many eggs the hen lays. Is it is a heavy layer, then yes, it will be hard for her to keep her calcium at what she needs it to be. I have seen that time and time again. In a natural state hens lay less eggs, thus they don't need supplementation. Our backyard flocks are not nature, though.

I am not trying to attack you or tell you that you're all wrong or something, I just want to make sure the OP has both sides of the coin so they can make their decision fully informed.