How to supplement calcium when they won’t consume enough oyster shell?

[imacowgirl2]

Some of my hens aren’t getting enough calcium because we are seeing fairly consistent soft shelled eggs. I’m not sure if the soft eggs are all from one hen or a couple.

We feed all flock with oyster shells on the side. We can’t feed layer feed because we have chicks in the coop, and I don’t like the low protein in the layer feeds available to me anyways. We also feed back egg shells as often as possible but that’s only a couple times a week as we sell most of our eggs.

Is there something else I can use to supplement calcium that they might consume enough of? Ideally something that I can provide free choice or easily give to the whole flock of layers (approx. 30 hens), as figuring out which hen(s) it is isn’t super feasible because I only know we have soft shells from when I’m in the coop later in the evening and hear a commotion only to see everyone gobbling up a soft shelled egg from the poop board; by the time I hear the noise and turn around everyone is down on the poop board with no idea who the culprit was.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

What brand of oyster shells do you use? My ducks and chickens never have done well using the white pebble like oyster shells. I switched to Scratch and Pecks gray flaked oyster shell and have had no issues since.

 

[nuthatched]

Do you feed any treats? Some hens prefer egg shells.

 

[imacowgirl2]

What brand of oyster shells do you use? My ducks and chickens never have done well using the white pebble like oyster shells. I switched to Scratch and Pecks gray flaked oyster shell and have had no issues since.

I’m not sure on the brand but it is the ones that look like white pebbles…off to search for flaked oyster shells!

 

[imacowgirl2]

Do you feed any treats? Some hens prefer egg shells.

They get a couple handfuls of scratch grains to lock them up in the run at night, and they free range most of the day every day, which includes access to our compost pile where they often clean up anything on there, including eggshells.

 

[nuthatched]

They get a couple handfuls of scratch grains to lock them up in the run at night, and they free range most of the day every day, which includes access to our compost pile where they often clean up anything on there, including eggshells.

Maybe see if any restaurants will safe their eggshells for you.
Some birds lay soft eggs no mater what.

 

[imacowgirl2]

What brand of oyster shells do you use? My ducks and chickens never have done well using the white pebble like oyster shells. I switched to Scratch and Pecks gray flaked oyster shell and have had no issues since.

Is this the one you use?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Is this the one you use?
View attachment 3430518

Yes that’s the one

 

[Saveria]

I do flaked oyster and then serve back the eggshells after they are washed and dried. Once the calcium from the oyster shell is in the eggshells it is even better to give it back to them.

There are a couple of other reasons for soft shelled eggs, too. You may want to make sure nothing else is going on. This article talks a little bit about it and can serve as a jumping off point.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

Good luck!

 

[Saveria]

There is also this brand of flaked Oyster shell, in case this is easier to find.

https://shop.smallpetselect.com/products/100-flaked-oyster-shell