Chickens low on Calcium

Green Mile

Hi,

The chickens we have are laying very soft white eggs. They are past their prime but I’m wondering what feed we can provide them to boost their calcium.

We read online that feeding crushed eggs shells helps? It’s just, we think the girls would get a taste for egg shells and would eat their own eggs before we get to them, as has happened in the past.

_Brian

If you plan on feeding shells make sure to roast them thoroughly. Last thing you want is a chicken getting a taste for shells and starting to peck eggs.

What feed are you using.

Most good feeds have crushed sea shells and the like added. We use layers mash along with kitchen waste veg.

Genghis Cant

We feed oyster shell grit .
It goes out on a separate feeder and the hens mow through it.
It's dear if you're buying small quantities.
Try your local agri store for the 25kg bag, it's the best value.

EvanFahy

feed : contains no genetically modified ingredients. It amounts to about 15 percent of the birds’ diet. It contains soybeans, oats, kelp, phosphate, and limestone. Oyster shell is offered free-choice.

Hens are kept for production for two years and then become stewing hens. “We don’t want birds to lay too heavily because they will cannibalize their bodies for calcium [to make the egg shell]. Nature never runs with the accelerator to the floor. Nature runs toward a balance.” The poultry industry, meanwhile uses up birds in a 10-month lifespan. “Balance is more valuable than the highest production,

Our current layer ration is as follows (in pounds):

Corn: 5,000
Roasted soybeans: 3,100
Oats: 1,100
Feed grade limestone: 500
Nutri-balancer (Fertrell): 300
Thorvin Kelp: 55

Tig98

Never feed eggs back to hens or you could end up in the nightmare situation of them eating their own eggs, just my two cents

yosemitesam1

Limestone flour

gozunda

EvanFahy wrote: »

feed : contains no genetically modified ingredients. It amounts to about 15 percent of the birds’ diet. It contains soybeans, oats, kelp, phosphate, and limestone. Oyster shell is offered free-choice.

Hens are kept for production for two years and then become stewing hens. “We don’t want birds to lay too heavily because they will cannibalize their bodies for calcium [to make the egg shell]. Nature never runs with the accelerator to the floor. Nature runs toward a balance.” The poultry industry, meanwhile uses up birds in a 10-month lifespan. “Balance is more valuable than the highest production,

Our current layer ration is as follows (in pounds):

Corn: 5,000
Roasted soybeans: 3,100
Oats: 1,100
Feed grade limestone: 500
Nutri-balancer (Fertrell): 300
Thorvin Kelp: 55

Hi Evan.welcome to farming.
I see you're quoting from this guy from Crozet in Virginia

Interesting article. Heres the reference if anyone is interested...


https://www.crozetgazette.com/2010/05/18/on-joel-salatins-polyface-farm-lunatic-tour/

gozunda

Tig98 wrote: »

Never feed eggs back to hens or you could end up in the nightmare situation of them eating their own eggs, just my two cents

Agreed. Feeding whole eggs not recommended for reasons of bio security and has implications for the spread of a number of bird related diseases

That said for backyard hens - feeding roasted and ground up eggs shelks is OK. Free range birds will also eat snails etc which are another good source of calcium.

If feeding only layer pellets reduced calcium deposition can sometimes be a problem. Add mixed grains to the diet if necessary.

SouthWesterly

As was said, get a 25kg bag of oyster shells in your local agri store. I mix it with pellets, corn and oats.

They take what they want.