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Barnyard Buddies:  Oyster Shell  |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 05:55:32 AM
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Okay girls, I have another chicken question.... how do you provide oyster shell to your hens? Ours should start laying any day now, and I know I'm supposed to supplement them with extra calcium for good shell production. Do you mix the oyster shell in with your hens' feed or do you put out an extra feeder of only oyster shell?
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
A Beehive is the ultimate Home Sweet Home
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retasos2
True Blue Farmgirl
272 Posts
Pilar
Centereach
NY
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 06:04:36 AM
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We mix the shell in with their food, our all-in-one is too small for that many containers.
Pilar
Farmgirl Sister #2498
Little Hen House on the Island
" A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is, until she gets in hot water" Eleanore Roosevelt |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 07:39:31 AM
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i on the other hand put mine out in a bowl for them. i also feed a lot of milk which helps also. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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retasos2
True Blue Farmgirl
272 Posts
Pilar
Centereach
NY
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 07:47:22 AM
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Milk? really...chickens can drink milk? warm or cold...
Pilar
Farmgirl Sister #2498
Little Hen House on the Island
" A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is, until she gets in hot water" Eleanore Roosevelt |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 10:43:28 AM
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In traditional farming, you feed out your waste milk/buttermilk from your cow to your chickens and hogs. Room temperature usually.
On the backyard chicken forums all reference I've seen to oyster shell is that it's fed in a separate bowl. Your roos don't need it, so they won't eat it.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4267 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4267 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 11:49:29 AM
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Keep mine in a separate feeder. I only keep a small amount in it, as they will waste it.
Michele |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 11:58:04 AM
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well howdy, we feed milk to chickens turkeys pigs. some folks let it sit in the bucket and clabber first. more enzymes and good bacterias then. i usually need my buckets too soon. we feed around a 1000 pounds of produce a week to our stock also. so our girls get lots of minerals etc. they also are worm eaters. so we feed red worms. if the milk is not clabbered they just drink it like water in a bowl. we have around a hundred hens and 15 fryers right now 7 butcher pigs and a new sow named sammy. she weighs about 600 pounds also there are 9 beef cows and 4 jerseys eating produce with their hay and grass. why because we have it. they love bananas peel and all and oranges. the chickens love the tomatoes lettuces and all stone fruit. i believe in feeding food i recognize. plus God gave me all this produce and milk so i use it. i hope i did not high jack your page. i think if we feed a varied diet barring anything not good for a specific species the stock are healthy. in the old days everyone ate what they had in the larder and root cellar. just my humble opinion. we all have them. so we are a learn as we go farm here having happy days. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 1:22:23 PM
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you also can feed them back their egg shells, collect up a bunch of rinsed shells, put in a bag and crush with a rolling pin, you can mix with their food, feed seperate or just sprinkle on the ground...I have been doing this for as many years as I can remember, as my Momma did, and we always had good shells on our eggs and happy hens...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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Oggie
True Blue Farmgirl
526 Posts
Ginny
Machias
Maine
USA
526 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 1:29:30 PM
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I haven't tried this yet but does anyone know if you can use mussel shells instead? We have a beach house and millions of mussel shells on the rocks and mud flats and I would far prefer to collect them then buy oyster shells. I'm just curious if I'm the only one who wants to do this or has done it.
Ginny
Farmgirl #2343
www.thedewhopinn.com
"I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with."
"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 6:01:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by oldbittyhen
you also can feed them back their egg shells, collect up a bunch of rinsed shells, put in a bag and crush with a rolling pin, you can mix with their food, feed seperate or just sprinkle on the ground...I have been doing this for as many years as I can remember, as my Momma did, and we always had good shells on our eggs and happy hens...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad"
I was told *not* to do this with chickens for fear it would teach them to eat their own eggs before you collect them, but it's not supposed to be an issue with ducks because their bills cant crack an egg anyway.
I don't have any chickens, so I don't have an experience to contradict, but its what I have heard.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
Edited by - Dusky Beauty on Sep 20 2011 6:11:45 PM |
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Acelady02
True Blue Farmgirl
1266 Posts
Penny
Washington
GA
USA
1266 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 8:01:22 PM
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I grew up feeding our chickens their egg shells and never had any problems with them eating their eggs...not sure they have any idea what it is after you have crushed it up.
(((((Hugs All)))))Penny
Farmgirl Sister #3343
God gives Miracles to those who Believe, Courage to those with Faith, Hope to those who Dream, Love to those who Accept, & Forgiveness to those who Ask... |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2011 : 8:21:06 PM
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i think the idea of them not knowing its a egg shell is it. like tina and penny said. disguise them with other food. the mussels should work too i think. i would wash the salt off. might be too much for them. you could crush with a sledge hammer. good idea. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Barnyard Buddies: Oyster Shell |
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Oyster Shell
