Comments on: Oyster shell

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:53:04 +0000

Our chickens are free range during the day and they have a large fenced in area that they go in at night and whenever we are not here because of work, etc.
We feed them begetable scraps in their area and we just lightly break up egg shells and toss in with their scraps. They eat the shells right along with the vegetable scraps. We don’t bother rinsing. They have them gone the same day we toss them in. So far no problems and it has been over a year of doing this. The eggs produced are great and have strong shells.

By: d.a.

d.a. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:08:14 +0000

I use crumbled feed, and mix in powdered calcium and a bit of seaweed. My “girls” don’t seem to care for oyster shell, either. I mix it in with their grit in hopes they still get some into their system.

By: Juliette

Juliette — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:24:11 +0000

If they eat mostly pellets, they don’t need extra oyster shell, as they contain enough. In fact some say it upsets their balance of minerals. Mine do enjoy pecking at a cuttlefish bone hanging in their run, but I think if they don’t need it they won’t it eat. (unlike food they like, like porridge or spaghetti, which given the chance they would eat until they blow up!)

By: david hicks

david hicks — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:17:38 +0000

I used to rinse save BAKE & crunch up the old egg shells,
I suspect the anxiety home egg growers have about “keeping their flock free of the taste of egg so the chooks don’t eat their own eggs is unwarranted.
I NOW , rinse shells roughly , sit them in the SUN for days/ weeks / whatever, crunch up by hand & put the shell in with the chooks’ shellgrit container- separate to their food container.

It works !!