Provide supplemental calcium with free-choice oyster shell

Offer crushed oyster shell in a separate container so laying hens can eat extra calcium as needed. A hen producing eggs daily needs roughly 4–5 grams of calcium per egg, which often exceeds what layer feed alone provides. Oyster shell dissolves slowly in the gizzard, releasing calcium gradually through the night when eggshell formation occurs.

Why It Works

Eggshells are 95% calcium carbonate. Hens that don't get enough calcium will pull it from their own bones, leading to osteoporosis and eventual leg weakness or fractures. Free-choice oyster shell lets each hen self-regulate her calcium intake — high producers eat more, non-layers eat less. This prevents both deficiency and the kidney damage that can result from force-feeding excess calcium.

Tips

• Keep oyster shell in a separate dish, never mixed into the feed
• Start offering it when hens reach 18 weeks or begin laying
• Crushed oyster shell costs roughly $10–15 for a 5-pound bag that lasts months for a small flock
• Do not substitute with eggshells unless they are baked at 250°F for 10 minutes and finely crushed — recognizable shell fragments can teach hens to eat their own eggs