mixing feed, oyster shells, corn all together

[GC-Raptor]

I didn't feed oyster shell at first, but I was getting thin shells and no shells from one pullet. It lasts a long time. A five pound bag lasts about five months. My layers feed is 3.5 percent calcium. GC

 

[petra65]

Instead of Oyster shell could I just dry the eggshells, grind them and give them back??
Thanks for the advice.
Petra

 

[Folly's place]

You can feed some crushed egg shells, but they don't substitute for oyster shell for high producing hens. there's research that shows that the hen doesn't get enough calcium from the egg shells when she's laying down the shell. Mary

 

[GC-Raptor]

Instead of Oyster shell could I just dry the eggshells, grind them and give them back??
Thanks for the advice.
Petra

If you can't find oyster shell, crushed limestone is a good substitute or just use a layers feed. Go ahead and use crushed egg shells, but it may not be enough. Just put dry egg shells in a plastic bag and crush into about an eighth to a quarter inch, 5mm size is good. Chickens tend to leave powder in the feeder, so don't grind it into a powder. GC

 

[MasAhora]

If your using a layer feed (and your hens are laying) there isn't a need for oyster shell. Layer has 3% calcium which is more than enough for egg shell thickness. All oyster shell is is a calcium supplement. I feed an all flock type feed, non medicated starter if wanting crumble form or turkey finisher if wanting pellet form. As that's only 1% calcium and can be fed to any poultry at any age. In this way I must give oyster shell to layers. I toss a handful or two on the ground once or twice a week. Hardly use any and will forget and go many weeks without supplementing it. Basically I think 3% calcium of layer feed is even more than they need, you'll know by egg shell thickness. Way back when I first had birds used layer feed because everyone said that's what you do. It would take three or more good whacks on the edge of a bowl to break them! Now that I only supplement if the shells start to seem thin I up the regiment of oyster for a few weeks.

Reading this thread for my own interest. Happy to know layer feed is sufficient as oyster shell is impossible to find where I live. As a side note a year ago when I moved to this property with an existing flock I found the egg shells to be thin with most of the 15 layers, I changed nothing except opening a gate 24/7 and allowing the hens to free range over a few acres in a fairly secure paddock and all the shells became strong. The laying was sporadic, 14 one day then maybe only a couple a day for a bit...or even none, but it seemed to be sporadic for the previous property owner as well. I am hoping to get a better balance with the pullets just starting to lay so offer fermented feed which they like in the hope it makes the nutrients more easily absorbed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

 
If your using a layer feed (and your hens are laying) there isn't a need for oyster shell. Layer has 3% calcium which is more than enough for egg shell thickness. All oyster shell is is a calcium supplement. I feed an all flock type feed, non medicated starter if wanting crumble form or turkey finisher if wanting pellet form. As that's only 1% calcium and can be fed to any poultry at any age. In this way I must give oyster shell to layers. I toss a handful or two on the ground once or twice a week. Hardly use any and will forget and go many weeks without supplementing it. Basically I think 3% calcium of layer feed is even more than they need, you'll know by egg shell thickness. Way back when I first had birds used layer feed because everyone said that's what you do. It would take three or more good whacks on the edge of a bowl to break them! Now that I only supplement if the shells start to seem thin I up the regiment of oyster for a few weeks.

Reading this thread for my own interest. Happy to know layer feed is sufficient as oyster shell is impossible to find where I live. As a side note a year ago when I moved to this property with an existing flock I found the egg shells to be thin with most of the 15 layers, I changed nothing except opening a gate 24/7 and allowing the hens to free range over a few acres in a fairly secure paddock and all the shells became strong. The laying was sporadic, 14 one day then maybe only a couple a day for a bit...or even none, but it seemed to be sporadic for the previous property owner as well. I am hoping to get a better balance with the pullets just starting to lay so offer fermented feed which they like in the hope it makes the nutrients more easily absorbed.

There’s always an “if” with about anything chickens. Layer feed is formulated to supply all the calcium a hen needs for body maintenance and function and her egg shells “IF” Layer feed is all she eats. Chicken nutrition is not about what is in one bite, it’s about the total amount they eat over the day, and it’s not really about just one day. It’s an average over a few days. How much calcium is in one bite is pretty irrelevant, it’s how much total calcium does she average eating in a day over a period of days. That’s where the 10% rule of thumb comes in, if their Layer feed is 90% of their daily diet, they should be getting enough calcium for the egg shells (and other vital nutrients). If they eat more than about 10% of low calcium stuff that is not the Layer feed, they may not be getting enough calcium.

There are a lot of potential sources of calcium for a chicken, certain plants or rocks can supply calcium. Certain creepy crawlies they eat may supply calcium. You can provide calcium supplements like crushed shells from certain crustaceans like clams, oysters, and some others. You can feed them back their own egg shells. You can tell if they are getting enough calcium by their egg shells. If the shells are hard and thick, they are getting enough calcium from somewhere.

If the only source of calcium is egg shells, it’s not enough. They use up some calcium for body function and maintenance. Not all the calcium they eat is digested and used by their bodies. Some continues straight on through the digestive system and out the rear end. That’s one reason compost made from chicken manure from laying hens is so great for your garden, that excess calcium is a required nutrient for many garden plants. IF their only source of calcium is egg shells it is a losing proposition.

Egg shells are a good calcium supplement. Feeding them egg shells in addition to the calcium in their feed and whatever other source they have for calcium may be enough. Your egg shells will tell you.

I feed a Grower with around 1% calcium and offer oyster shells on the side. When I offer them egg shells they ignore them. They are getting enough calcium from other sources and don’t touch egg shells. My egg shells are thick and hard enough so I’m not worried. They are getting enough calcium from somewhere. It doesn’t matter to me where the calcium is coming from, just that it is enough.