Is Morning Bird calcium plus liquid supplement safe for chickens?

[HannahL]

Hi all! I have two 5-year-old hens who refuse to eat oyster shells no matter how hard I try. This summer, they’ve started laying eggs with really thin shells and even laid a soft-shelled egg once. I’ve been adding HydroHen and some electrolyte packets to their water a few times a week which has helped somewhat, but not completely. One of them just started molting and so I’ve been exploring other options for calcium support. I found a liquid calcium supplement from Morning Bird and was wondering if anyone has had any luck with it. It says it’s suitable for “all bird types” but is marketed toward household birds like parakeets, finches, macaws, and parrots. Is it safe to use with chickens? Any other tips on calcium/protein supplementation would also be greatly appreciated!

 

[FrostRanger]

No idea about that particular product, but hydrohen is an electrolyte, not a calcium supplement
What does their diet consist of?
For the time being, I'd give the ones laying soft shelled eggs calcium citrate + d3 for a few days (same stuff madefor people) to help with the immediate problem. Long term, some hens prefer flake oyster shell so you can try that. Also know that as hens get older they are more prone to reproductive issues so this could be related to that, but it could be something else

 

[rosemarythyme]

No idea about that particular product, but hydrohen is an electrolyte, not a calcium supplement
What does their diet consist of?
For the time being, I'd give the ones laying soft shelled eggs calcium citrate + d3 for a few days (same stuff madefor people) to help with the immediate problem. Long term, some hens prefer flake oyster shell so you can try that. Also know that as hens get older they are more prone to reproductive issues so this could be related to that, but it could be something else

x2. The electrolytes have nothing to do with shell strength so I'd discontinue that unless you're using it for some other purpose (i.e. intense heat wave). Far easier to pop a calcium citrate pill in their mouths as chickens can swallow a whole pill without issue, frequency would depend on how much they lay. For an older bird that's laying maybe 2-3x a week, 1 tablet every 3 days is probably enough. For younger birds that are laying more often, every other day or even daily would be the recommendation.

 

[HannahL]

No idea about that particular product, but hydrohen is an electrolyte, not a calcium supplement
What does their diet consist of?
For the time being, I'd give the ones laying soft shelled eggs calcium citrate + d3 for a few days (same stuff madefor people) to help with the immediate problem. Long term, some hens prefer flake oyster shell so you can try that. Also know that as hens get older they are more prone to reproductive issues so this could be related to that, but it could be something else

Yeah I know HydroHen isn’t a calcium supplement but I figured it was better than nothing in the interim while I was looking for a calcium supplement. I just give them a standard layer feed with some oyster shells mixed in. Thinking of maybe putting them on a grower feed that’s higher in calcium. They get treats like banana, strawberries, oats, dried mealworms, etc on a semi-regular basis and I usually add a cap-full of apple cider to their water if there’s nothing else in it. What is a standard dose of calcium citrate/d3 for a hen? I figured that most of these issues are just due to their age as they only really lay a few times a week now anyway. Just want to support them as best I can as they get older

 

[FrostRanger]

Yeah I know HydroHen isn’t a calcium supplement but I figured it was better than nothing in the interim while I was looking for a calcium supplement. I just give them a standard layer feed with some oyster shells mixed in. Thinking of maybe putting them on a grower feed that’s higher in calcium. They get treats like banana, strawberries, oats, dried mealworms, etc on a semi-regular basis and I usually add a cap-full of apple cider to their water if there’s nothing else in it. What is a standard dose of calcium citrate/d3 for a hen? I figured that most of these issues are just due to their age as they only really lay a few times a week now anyway. Just want to support them as best I can as they get older

Layer feed has more calcium than grower. I'd use the dosage that @rosemarythyme suggested. Them being on layer feed is probably why they don't eat their oyster shell much, but still give them the calcium citrate + d3 and try the flake oyster shell in case it's still helpful

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thinking of maybe putting them on a grower feed that’s higher in calcium.

Grower should be lower calcium % (somewhere around 1%) than layer (around 4%).

What is a standard dose of calcium citrate/d3 for a hen? I figured that most of these issues are just due to their age as they only really lay a few times a week now anyway. Just want to support them as best I can as they get older

As far as actual pill strength, from what I've seen around here it doesn't really matter. I'd err on the side of a lower dosage and just give more frequently if the above recommended frequency isn't enough.

When they stop laying for the season you also would discontinue calcium supplementing at that time.

 

[Themellowyellows]

I purchased oyster flour off of Amazon... I sprinkle a little into there dry food and when I give them shredded cheese... Try Nutri-Drentch poultry, this helps as hens discharge much of there vitamins and calcium when laying eggs. Instructions on the back... Hope this helps!