How to crush oyster shells

[naveed05]

Hi,my hen has been laying thin shelled for sometime now..since there are not much vet available,i was really confused.. but one of my friend suggested to add their own shells for the extra calcium.. But she later lost interest in the egg shells.. I live in a remote place in INDIA... there is no feed stores here... But i have access to oyster shells by the sea shore... can i grind them n feed to my hen.. am worried for the sharp edges to harm her please reply friends for possible solution...

 

[Pancholoco]

I don't know how to crush it but I have an idea you can use a corn mill like this just loose the butterfly nut as desired thickness. I hope this will help you

 

[Brandi Leigh]

The oyster shells that we buy from the feed store are almost in a powdered form. So i think you have to almost use some sort of pestle and mortar.

 

[naveed05]

are sea shells and oyster shells the same??? can i grind sea shells and give as a calcium supplement for my hens???

 

[JadedPhoenix]

My father gave our chickens oyster shells without grinding them up. They would play with them and peck at them and they DID break them down on their own over time.

As for the Oyster shell vs. the Sea shell, I don't think that it would hurt them.

 

[naveed05]

thx all for ya replies.. my hen is not showing much interest.. i almost grounded those shells into powder... she is not showing any interest and nt even care to peck at them... any suggestions.. can i powder em and give it with water?

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Mix it in a variety of scraps that you might give since you said that you don't have a feed store I'm assuming that you allow her to free-range. Part of it will be that you will have to trust her to take what she needs.

Another thing that I'm wondering, do you ONLY have one hen? Chickens are social creatures and need companionship. It could be that she is just depressed if she is a loner. I've always been told that hens do best in a group no smaller than three.

 

[naveed05]

Yup... I have a hen and a rooster... We bought them as chicks in a local pet store as they were really cute... So they grew up alone.. they are not of much free range... So can i give her with powdered or crushed sea shells ???

 

[jak2002003]

If she is not eating the egg shells anymore and she seem not interested in the oyster shells I think she has enough calcium and does not need any more.

The chicken will know when she needs more calcium and then will get hungry for egg shells or oyster shell.

She will eat it if she needs it.

Have some egg shells and crushed oystershell in a pot always for when she needs it.

Its best to feed only egg shell and oyster shell - not sea shells. Sea shells are often very thick and hard to digest and they are not as good as oyster shell.

Oyster shell is better as it has iodine as well as calcium.

To crush it - its easy - just use a pestle and mortar.

I live in Thailand and I can't get things from feed stores also. I have chickens and lots of cage birds, and I have to use what I can get like you.

 

[naveed05]

she s nt eating anything excepts greens.. she eats em lot.. she definately needs calcium....