Young pullets going for oyster shell ok?

[Ryooki]

I got my first chickens in mid-late April: Easter Egger, Black Cooper Marans, and Blue Laced Red Wyandotte. The oldest is 14 weeks, and the youngest is 12 weeks. One of my friends started getting eggs a few weeks ago with his chickens (different breeds and about 3 weeks older). So just in case, I put out some oyster shell in a separate feeder in the yard about 20 feet away from their regular feed. I wasn’t sure if my chickens were going for the oyster shell, but it seemed like it might have been going down some. Yesterday, we put a laying box with nesting material and ceramic eggs in their run which someone clearly was messing with overnight. This morning, the oldest pullets went for the oyster shell enthusiastically for right after I let them out. I’m reading that all of my breeds should be laying around 24-30 weeks or later. Should I be concerned? I hope I’m not inadvertently harming them. My chickens free range in my yard so I wasn’t even sure we’d need oyster shell, in case they eat enough bugs.

 

[azygous]

No big problem, the pullets are only curious about the oyster shell all the big girls are eating. Even roosters take an occasional nibble at oyster shell from time to time. It's no where near enough to do any harm.

 

[aart]

Yesterday, we put a laying box with nesting material and ceramic eggs in their run which someone clearly was messing with overnight.

Messing of nests is a usually a sure sign that someone is nearing point of lay.