Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: jackie on April 05, 2010, 22:06

Title: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: jackie on April 05, 2010, 22:06

my girls are on layers pellets. we also mix oyster shell in with this and they have a seperate bowl of oyster shell. should they also be having grit?

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: Kazoo on April 05, 2010, 22:11

Hi Jackie

I believe they need both - oyster shell for calcium and grit to help break down the food in the crop (if thats wrong someone will correct me!).  My hens free range so I don't provide grit as they find enough naturally.

Kazoo

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: TeaPots on April 05, 2010, 22:14

u shouldnt need to MIX in the extras, but a container with BOTH oystershell(soluble) and grit(insoluble) can be left as available for them. If hens are freeranging, and on a good quality layers pellets, it is likely that they they will find any grit they need whilst foraging, and calcium is in the pellets, so it really SHOULDNT be needed.

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: jackie on April 06, 2010, 09:51

they are in a part covered run with wood bark when i am out. when i'm at home they have the run of my garden

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: Jeanette on April 06, 2010, 12:37

  Both. :)

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: Sue33 on April 06, 2010, 12:40

are you having problems with soft shelled eggs?  If not,  i wouldn't be too concerned.   One of our girls was laying soft eggs recently and we introduced oyster shell grit to them, seems to have solved the problem  :)

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: jackie on April 06, 2010, 18:00

thats really wierd cos i had my first soft shell today, all squidgy and broken in the nest box. they have loads of oyster shell tho. the grit wouldnt have made a difference would it?

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: joyfull on April 06, 2010, 18:52

the grit is purely to help them grind their food up  :)

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: Henlady on April 06, 2010, 19:38

off shopping again for my girls then as I was only giving them oyster shell, but they do free range all day.  One is laying soft shells but the other 2 that are laying are producing nice strong shells.

Title: Re: oyster shell , grit or both?
Post by: ehs284 on April 06, 2010, 20:24

Our hooligans are free ranging, but still have a grit/shell mix available. They do take from this pot - noticeably after having a treat of hand-held corn. After the corn they drink and then eat the grits/shells.