Crushed oyster shell for chickens?

[jnicholes]

Hi everyone,

I was talking to somebody at the farm store a week ago, and they said I should give this to the chickens to promote stronger egg shells when they start laying.

I got my first egg yesterday, but when I was cooking it, it seemed awful fragile. The shell seemed weak. I did not give them any of this oyster shell, because I forgot how to give it to them. I also couldn’t find instructions.

Here is my question, how do I give this to my chickens? Do I grind it up a little? Do I mix it in with their regular feed? Will this even be beneficial to my chickens?

Can someone help me figure this out?

Regards,

Jared

 

[MommyGirl]

Just put in separate dish and they will take what they need and it doesn’t have to be crushed it’s already the right size

 

[jnicholes]

Just put in separate dish and they will take what they need and it doesn’t have to be crushed it’s already the right size

Awesome, thanks for letting me know.

 

[MommyGirl]

No problem. And definitely beneficial to them that need the calcium

 

[rosemarythyme]

If the birds will not eat that type, you might try buying a 100% flaked oyster shell instead of the compressed nugget type. Or sprinkling some crushed egg shells on it (you might not have any on hand, but might want to start saving up some) may also help spark their interest.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That is the correct size for chickens to eat. You do not need to crush it any more than it is.

A hen's eggshells are mostly calcium. All chickens need some calcium for body maintenance or growth but hens that are laying eggs need about 4 times as much calcium as other chickens because of those eggshells. If all they eat is Layer feed they should get enough calcium for the eggshells as well as body maintenance and such but if they forage for much of their food or you give them many treats they may not get enough so offering extra calcium can be a good idea.

I suggest you offer it in a separate container or feeder. The ones that need it tend to know they need it and eat enough while the ones that don't need it usually do not eat enough to harm themselves. I think it is a good idea to offer oyster shell. If they are getting enough calcium from other sources they may not eat much or even any of it. But if they need it then it is available.

You got your first egg yesterday. Sometimes pullets take a while for their bodies to figure out how to put an egg together correctly. Even if they are eating enough calcium their bodies may not prepare it correctly. Those first eggs can be thin-shelled, soft-shelled, extremely hard shelled, double yolked, no yolk, no whites, or just plain weird. To me it is kind of amazing how many actually get it correct the first egg. If you are still getting thin-shelled eggs in another two weeks come back and we can discuss it. But if you offer that oyster shell on the side now I think you will have no problems.