tomatoes affecting egg shell production?

[GallusSapiens]

Recently I met a couple who told me that "you shouldn't feed tomatoes to chickens" because, according to them, the acid in the tomatoes interferes with calcium metabolism, and will cause shell-less eggs, or stop egg production altogether.

Has anyone ever heard this claim before. I know a lot of people who feed tomatoes to chickens, and have seen a number of people in BYC who have said it has caused no problems. I have no idea where this couple got their info. Anyone else ever hear a similar claim?

 

[AmyLM]

My hens get tomatoes all the time. My hens recently started laying and its over 100F out so I think that has more of an impact on shell production than tomatoes but I'm willing to stop giving them tomatoes to see if it has an effect on the egg shells.

 

[GallusSapiens]

Thanks, AmyLM. How old were your hens when they started laying? (And what breed(s)?) I am wondering if the hot weather is partly responsible for a delay (at least I think there is a delay) in their laying.

 

[chfite]

Tomatoes are a favorite treat for my girls. The eggs are fine.


Chris

 

[Judy]

Heat can decrease egg production but I suspect it wouldn't have much affect on when they start.

Mine have been eating my bug eaten tomatoes for a week or two now; they ate a LOT of tomatoes. Yesterday I got 7 good, hard shelled eggs, about what I was getting before they had access to the tomato plants. I've always given chickens tomatoes when I had them as they love them so, but this was the first time they got such a quantity. They almost stopped eating their feed.

 

[7L Farm]

My chickens eat tons of tomatoes almost everyday when there in season along with other veggies from the garden. I doubt very seriously that vegetables are bad for them. Maybe, if you grow veggies & spray your plants with chemicals.

 

[janinepeters]

GallusSapiens, you might have problems if you feed them MOSTLY tomatoes (or a disproportionate amount of almost any one food), but you will be fine if they also have access to their regular balanced feed, and lots of other plant matter, insects, worms, etc. Thousands of people let their chicks pick through their compost which includes tomato scraps and other vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen and garden....And their chickens have no problems shelling out eggs.

 

[triplepurpose]

GallusSapiens, you might have problems if you feed them MOSTLY tomatoes (or a disproportionate amount of almost any one food), but you will be fine if they also have access to their regular balanced feed, and lots of other plant matter, insects, worms, etc. Thousands of people let their chicks pick through their compost which includes tomato scraps and other vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen and garden....And their chickens have no problems shelling out eggs.

I was going to write almost exactly the same thing. This claim sounds suspiciously bogus to me too... People come up with the weirdest things to worry about...