4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Falkor]

Hi

 

My three orps are 24-25w now but not laying.

 

They have grit in their run but should I be giving them oyster shell yet?

 

Gins face, wattles and comb are getting red , her wattles are getting bigger too so eggs may be not too far away.

 

 

Or should i wait for the eggs before giving them oyster shell?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I don't suppose they need it yet so I'd not bother. Maybe when you see the first signs of crouching, you could start giving it to them? My grit comes with oystershell in it already (although I was using a different type when mine were younger).

 

Maybe someone else will know more than me .

[Falkor]

Thanks ANH

 

I was thinking along the same lines as that.

[..lay a little egg for me]

If it is mixed poultry grit they are having it usually has oyster shell in it...at least the stuff we got did.

[Daphne]

mine were having it as part of mixed grit at your girls' age - but thats because they were sharing with older girls. If I had them separately I probably would start around now, but there's no rush - some people say don't bother till the pullets are actually in lay, and thats probably good advice as well! I was a bit anxious because I have one older hen who doesn't absorb calcium very well so I probably err on the side of making it available.

[Hen Watch]

My Mixed Poultry Grit already containes soluable shell. But when I first bought grit alone, I used to bake egg shells and crush them to add to the grit. Even used supermarket eggshells before mine were laying.

 

But if you check the feed ingredients you will probably find it containes the right amount of calcium anyway.

[Cooks]

My corn has added oyster shell, it's the smallholders range although there is a corn they do without the added oyster shell. Although they do not get corn all the time, they have this one and I think it must help as I have only once in their whole time with me had a slightly thinner egg.

[OwenLdn]

Oh ive just realised something- I thought I was all ready for getting chickens this weekend- I bought some Oystershell at my local pet store and thought it was the same thing as grit.

 

So is Oyster shell just for calcium to lay eggs- and Grit for grinding food up?

 

What does grit look like? Is it just stones? Would small (aquarium) gravel do or does it have to be angular??

 

Thanks!

Owen

[Daphne]

hi - yes birds need soluble (eg oystershell) and non-soluble (ie grit) 'grit'. You can buy mixed grit which has both in. I'm sorry I have no idea what aquarium gravel is so somebody will have to help with that part of your query. Grit looks like small bits of grey gravel chips - it is angular.

[Egluntyne]

 

So is Oyster shell just for calcium to lay eggs- and Grit for grinding food up?

 

Yes.

 

What does grit look like?

 

Assorted tiny stones. There is plain flint grit and Mixed Poultry Grit, which has identifiable bts of sea shell in it. Opinions vary as to which is the best. I give Mixed Poultry grit and no added oystershell. I have a 25kg sack to plough through.

 

 

I wouldn't use the aquarium stones.

[OwenLdn]

Thanks for your help Daphne and Egluntine!

 

On the way home I stopped off at my local pet shop to see if I could get some grit- and found they did a whole range of chicken things- which I never thoguht they would do- apparently there are quite a few other chicken keepers near me! I wonder if they are on here?

 

Thanks for the grit info!