BUT WHY OYSTER SHELLS?
Why feed Oyster Shells to Chickens are so popular?
Chickens need a good supply of calcium to maintain egg production, bone health, and to ensure egg quality and strength. Oyster shells are thus widely used as a feed supplement for laying hens to prevent the mobilisation of calcium from the bones alongside limestone from mined sources. Why are oyster shells so widely used? Commercially sold oyster shells contain around 38% calcium however particle size is a key factor in determining how much calcium is made available to the hen. It has been shown that using oyster shells in larger particle sizes (2-4 mm) can reduce calcium mobilisation from the bones and improve egg quality and productivity.
The Drawbacks of Oyster shells
The cost of oyster shell is often twice that of limestone and small feed mills are not equipped for or prefer not to add coarse calcium to chicken diets. Feed represents approximately 60 to 70% of egg production costs. If feed costs could be reduced by using a cheaper source of calcium with similar physical properties, this would benefit egg producers and consumers.
Seashells as an Alternative to Oyster: Why are they different?
European poultry producers now have a natural alternative to oyster shells – seashells from the Caspian Sea by Morgan Agro. Seashells offer some real advantages to egg producers. The key benefits of using seashells include:
- Lower breakage of eggs
- Reduced chickens mortality
- Low solubility and a slow-release time
- Low heavy metal content
- Smoother weathered edges
- Heat-treated and sterilised
- Pays off itsel
Seashells and solubility
When choosing a calcium ingredient for poultry it is recommended that the calcium is released gradually over time in the intestinal tract. Particle size matters when it comes to releasing calcium for use by the chicken.
Calcium ingredients with poor solubility and large particle size have an increased retention time in the gizzard and ultimately a higher calcium availability for the chicken. It has been found that feeding a mined marine calcium source as a hen-size particle significantly improved eggshell strength when compared to the ground material.
Morgan Agro seashells, oyster shells, finely ground limestone and coarse limestone were compared for solubility and Morgan Agro seashells were stable for longer in an acidic environment compared to the coarser limestone and oyster shells. This means that hens will be less dependent on the calcium mobilisation from bone and fewer bone health problems.
A feeding trial of hens fed a limestone-based supplement versus hens fed Morgan Agro seashells showed that over 17 weeks the hens fed the seashell supplement produced 26% more eggs with fewer breakages and had lower mortality rates. Mortality over 17 weeks was 12.4% for hens fed the limestone supplement, compared with just 2.6% for those fed Morgan Agro seashells. During the same period, 2.1% of eggs from the limestone group broke, compared with 1.7% of eggs produced by the Morgan Agro supplemented group.
Low Heavy Metal Content
Oysters will accumulate heavy metals from their environment, and oysters sourced from polluted waters will be prone to have high concentrations of metals such as lead, cadmium etc. Seashells from natural sources such as the Caspian Sea will contain lower levels of these metals and pose less of a threat to chickens.
Smoother edges
Additionally, seashells from natural deposits often have smoother weathered edges for easier digestion and a lower risk of internal damage to the chicken’s digestive tract.
Heat Treated and Safe
Morgan Agro seashells are heat-treated and sterilized to ensure the product is free from contamination whereas oyster shells are most often not, this reduces the risk to poultry from salmonella and E. Coli contamination.
Morgan Agro Seashells in Use
Balticovo – a large scale commercial egg producer has seen positive improvements to hen health since using Morgan Agro Seashells in its laying hen rations. According to Vladimir Mkhitaryan, CEO:
- “We see visible signs of improved health of our hens. We expect to see longer life spans and increased egg outputs”.
Read full recommendation by Balticovo here.
The company has data that shows hens fed using Morgan Agro’s seashell-based supplements produce eggs with increased shell thickness and reduced breakages.
- Morgan Agro recommends adding supplements of 4.5% seashells and 4.5% limestone. This mix will improve egg quality and reduce mortality boosting economic returns.*
Morgan Agro provides the highest quality seashells from the Caspian Sea, and our products are a great supplement for chickens. Our Seashells are a healthy and effective alternative to limestone, oyster, and crushed eggshells as a calcium source.
Contact us for samples, to order seashells or to find out more about them.
Sources:
- Mako et al., ‘Comparative Use of Oyster Shell and Limestone as Sources of Calcium in the Diets of Laying Chickens’.
- MacIsaac, Anderson, and Safamehr, ‘Evaluation of Whelks as an Alternative Source of Calcium in Laying Hens’.
- Saki, Rahmani, and Yousefi, ‘Calcium Particle Size and Feeding Time Influence Egg Shell Quality in Laying Hens’.
- Anderson and MacIsaac, ‘Evaluation of Whelks as an Alternative Source of Calcium in Laying Hens’.
- MacIsaac, Anderson, and Safamehr, ‘Evaluation of Whelks as an Alternative Source of Calcium in Laying Hens’.
- WATKINS, DILWORTH, and DAY, ‘Effect of Calcium Supplement Particle Size and Source on the Performance of Laying Chickens’.
- Morgan Agro, ‘The in Vitro Solubility of Morgan Agro Sea Shells in Relation with the Egg Shell Quality of Laying Hens’.
- Morgan Agro, ‘Seashell Tests’.
*These are approximate data based on our expertise, we recommend that you conduct a product test to understand your benefits.