Oyster Shells.........

[Wrigley62]

Good morning all,

I know I'm still some weeks away from expecting the arrival of the "first" egg, but, when should I start adding Oyster Shell to thier diet??
My girls will be 16 weeks on the 8th of July. (RIR's, Barred Rocks, Black Sex-links and Araucana's). I still have them on Starter/Grower feed.
Also, when do I open up the nesting boxes for business or practice? Or do I let them lay on the floor then open up the boxes?

The anticipation is making me NUTS!!! 07

 

[Sue]

I'm sure more experienced members will reply later, but if you have mixed grit available in a separate container, this contains oyster shell and they can help themselves. I would have thought at 16 weeks they should be on layers pellets by now. I collected my birds at 17 weeks and they had been on layers for a few weeks before I had them. I would open up the nest boxes for them to investigate now as you don't want them to lay on the floor, because the eggs may get dirty and/or damaged. It's very exciting waiting for that first egg isn't it! We were so pleased when it finally arrived that we had to take a photo of it!!!!

 

[Marigold]

If you still have some growers feed left, carry on feeding it for the time being, ideally until they actually start to lay, which will probably be between 20 and 28 weeks. At 16 weeks they still have a lot of growing to do, and do not need the extra calcium in layers pellets.
They will be nowhere near laying yet, so it would be best to concentrate on training them to perch at night, not letting them roost on the floor. If they are inclined to roost in the nest boxes, leave them blocked, go down after roosting time and lift them on to the perches. Once they have learned, you an unblock the nest boxes ready for when they begin to inspect them during the day, which is a hopeful sign that they are going to lay quite soon.

 

[chrismahon]

You've got at least another month to go Wrigley so as Marigold says get them all on the perches so they don't poo on each other. Open the nest boxes closer to the time and when they are all perching. Risk otherwise they will sleep in the nest boxes and then you get poo on the eggs and health issues.

Layers pellets, which I would start them on when the first pullet lays an egg, contains all the calcium they need. Pure oyster grit is an unnecessary calcium addition. Mixed grit will be fine which contains a bit of oystershell and insoluble grit. I would use Oyster shell grit if the birds were free ranging a lot or being fed a lot of corn and were therefore not eating a full ration of layers pellets.

 

[Wrigley62]

Thank you all, again.
As of now they have all been roosting on the perches for about 3 weeks. I still have the nesting boxes closed off. Every night around 7:45 they head into the coop, yack at each other for a few minutes then hit the perches for the night.
I'm only giving them corn as a "Treat" every couple of days or when I want them in the pen earlier than normal. They do free-range every day, all day long, so long as someone is there to tend to them, if not, then when I get home from work.
I'm sure you all will know when that "First" egg is laid, you'll hear me yell all the way from across the "Pond"

 

[Marigold]

Now they have the habit of roosting properly you can unblock the nest boxes so they know they are there for when they begin exploring them.
We're all listening hard for your big yell!

 

[Chuck]

Food, water and mixed grit are the essentials. Grit is used to grind down hard feed. You can put them onto layers pellets any time from now when it suits you. They won't come to any harm, especially as you are feeding a certain amount of mixed corn. Leave nest boxes open as long as they don't sleep in them to foul them with droppings, that way they can investigate hopefully will use them when they start to lay. Wood shavings make good nesting material.