Oyster Shell Supplement

[chickenplucker]

I have recently switched from start and grow to lay n mash. I also purchased some crushed oyster shell. How much of the shell do you add to the lay and mash for the daily feedings?

[Trina]

I just offer them their choice. I have 2 small containers in their coop with oyster shell in one, and grit in the other. They can take what they need, and I don't have to do any measuring, etc.....

[Buffgirl]

I keep mine seperate too. If it gets wet or starts looking nasty I throw it out and refill. I have it for them 24/7. They don't gobble it up like they do chicken feed, if they need it they will eat it. I've have mixed it with feed before (1 time) just to see what would happen and ended up with most of the oyster shell left in the bottom of the feeder.

[RonL]

Plucker. Trina and Robyn are right. Separate containers work best. They will consume what they need and when it is required (unlike our children ) .......

[Roland]

I find that the chickens will eat oyster shell as if it were candy for a day or two and then not touch it at all for some time. That makes things a little awkward when you try to make the oyster shell available in a dish or trough because the birds just knock it over when it's in their way.

The best way I have found to make it available so that the birds have it when they want it is to use a tin rabbit feed hopper for it. My hopper hangs from the wall at about the height of the smallest bird's back, but I have to raise it up along the wall as my bedding accumulates and raises the floor of the coop.

Roland

[Mikey]

Hi

I don't mean to hijack ChickenPluckers thread, but I'm curious to know if Oyster shells or the alternatives are actually necessary in all cases.

From what I've read (and I'll happily be corrected if I've got this wrong) it seems that the oyster shells, ground egg shells and the like are used to help the birds grind up the food in their gizzards' and to give them calcium for strong egg shells. The reason I ask if it's necessary for all birds is that mine pook about all day pecking stuff up from the ground (which isn't all food) and have no obvious digestive problems and have had really strong egg shells from day one.

Other than what they pick up on their travels and the odd treat such as fresh corn, they mostly eat standard poultry crumbs and organic layers mash.

If they seem happy and healthy, is there any reason I should add Oyster shells to their diet?

Cheers

Mike

[erice1]

As with all answers it begins with 'depends'...

you dont need oyster shell to grind the food if your chickens are out. They will pick up lots of rocks and grit and do just fine.

Hens who lay do needs lots of calcium though. In my area, the ground has been used for cattle for years and there is zero in the soil. Feed has supliments but outside chickens dont eat much feed (I go through a bag every 2 months and I have 10 birds). So I have to 'suppliment' in order to get egg shells that are nice and hard.

[Mikey]

Originally Posted by erice1

As with all answers it begins with 'depends'...

you dont need oyster shell to grind the food if your chickens are out. They will pick up lots of rocks and grit and do just fine.
Hens who lay do needs lots of calcium though.

Thanks for the quick reply Erice1, sounds like mine will be fine without it ...thought I'd got it wrong for a while then!

Mike

[RonL]

Mikey. Birds don't consume oyster shell for grit unless nothing else is available. They consume it for the calcium. If your birds are laying, then to have some available in the coop will be an added benefit if and when they need it. Also, having grit available will also be to their benefit. A part of good flock management is to have a grit hopper and shell hopper available for them at all times. Normally inside the coop out of the weather. Now, they will get both naturally when free roaming. But there are times they will need additional .......

[Mikey]

Thanks for the update there Ron. Next time I cook some eggs I'll boil the shells and grind them up, that'll keep them going while I try to source some oyster shells ...not too hopeful as I've only found one supplier of poultry food in my home city, but my work takes me all over so I could get lucky on my travels.

Mike