Grit/sharp sand

[Anonymous]

Just found some soft shelled eggs and we're out of grit. My builder husband has said sharp sand would be suitable? is that so? is it OK?
Thanks

 

[Tim]

Yes, you can use sand for a while - just make sure it doesn't have any additives.

I fill holes in the field in that the ducks make with sand and the chooks love eating it!

 

[steeple ducks]

I think they are neutral so not a good calcium supplement? They are both good for digestion though.

I have the problem with my hens on grass. I feed them only on layers, no wheat, before they come into lay and before the grass starts growing to build them up. When the grass is good I really need to confine them so they still eat plenty of layers. Shell quality recovers when the grass isn't growing or is tillering. I was watching them this morning bolting down grass rather than eat the pellets. Is there a balanced layers pellet for free range hens that find a lot of their own?

I put their sand in a dip and the ducks make it even deeper... how to make a big hole!

 

[Tim]

I'm sorry, I answered too quickly...I got carried away with the sand and didn't think about the soft egg shells!

Sand can benefit your birds with digestion but ideally this should be flint / insoluble grit.

To help form egg shells, as Steeple Ducks says, Calcium is required and for this, ground up oystershell or soluble grit should be given. In the short term you can use dried / crushed egg shells which of course themselves are full of Calcium. Pop them in a baking tray in the oven until they are crisp and then crush.

These days, (in date) formulated feeds usually contain enough calcium. There can be a number of other things that can cause soft egg shells too - it could well be this is not the problem but unless the problem continues for any length of time, I would not worry too much.

I hope this is a better answer :roll:

Steeple Ducks - I am very surprised that shell quality goes down when they have more grass - You get calcium naturally from fresh greens and they normally know how to get the right balance themselves... Do you provide oystershell ad lib too?

Grass normally gives the eggs that lovely yellow yolk that we all love

T

 

[Tim]

And another thought Steeple Ducks :roll:

Could it be that when the grass isn't growing they are producing less eggs and therefore shell quaity is better and it's not really related..