Hello Everyone,

Was just wondering what everyone uses to provide calcium for their pigeons and specifically, their hens. I used to offer my birds crushed oyster shell grit for many years and until my huge bag was used up. I am no longer able to get crushed oyster shell anywhere around here that I've found. So, I have been experimenting with different types of human calcium supplements with vitamin D3. I was giving my birds this in tablet form but now I've gone to liquid calcium with D3 in the water.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

Hi Brad ,

There must be no poultry breeders right in your area and not enough demand for the oyster shell . Thats what I have been using , it runs about $13 bucks for 50# out here .

I dont know if you eat eggs , I have been saving chicken egg shells , drying them in the microwave , crushing and saving them . I just started a few days ago and havnt even tried it on the birds yet . Maybe they will hate it I read this somewhere on the web and thought I would try it . Apparently the shells are almost all calcium . Definately not a long term solution , but for a few birds it might help out until you locate a source of oyster shell . Anyway just a thought .

Hambone

Hi Brad. Can you get "Pigeon Grit"??? If you can, you won't need to feed the oyster shell separate, because it is in the grit. I picked up a 50# bag of "Pigeon Grit", and it has oyster shell, and charcoal, and lots of other minerals and stuff that they like. I paid $15.00, and that has everything they need in it. Check your feed stores, tractor supply, etc. Hope this helps,

Hi Hambone and Sue,

Thanks for your advice and ideas....both great ones! Hambone, eggshells are indeed supposed to be great sources of calcium for the pigeons and you're doing it the right way. The only thing I've ever wondered about is the sharp, thin edges and how the birds eat them safely. I do know that many people offer shells to their birds and they do well with them however.

Sue...NOPE...I know the grit you're talking about and I can't get that here either anymore. It's grey with black bits and the shells all mixed together but I can only get the "red grit" here, I believe it's the granite type grit and I have been using and still use this today. Lots of farming stores here but none that seem to carry what I want for my pigeons.

Great ideas and practices both of you....let's hear what others have to say as well and what they use to provide that vital mineral for their birds.

Brad, red grit is the grit you WANT to use. That's ALL I use. I've never used oyster shells.........I did try egg shells once but we don't eat enough eggs to supplement 50 pigeons.........
I give vitamins once a week. I've never seen a soft shell or had an egg bound hen. Now..........I might have one tomorrow....... :lol: but as of today, I've never had a problem.

Hi Renee,

That's interesting....I used to offer my birds both the red grit and the oyster shells and until the oyster shells ran out. I found that my hens would go after the oyster shell grit the most. Aren't there different types of "red grit" though? I have two types...one that I use all the time that looks like little pieces of glass (shiny)..and the other type that looks like pieces of hard clay.

I found that with my birds anyway, the red (granite type grit) didn't seem to be satisfying their needs and cravings and they would eat so much of it. So after the oyster shell grit ran out, this is when I started to offer the human grade calcium with D3.

I use crushed oyster shell for chicks and add egg shell I crush if the hens are laying eggs.

Brad wrote:Hi Renee,

That's interesting....I used to offer my birds both the red grit and the oyster shells and until the oyster shells ran out. I found that my hens would go after the oyster shell grit the most. Aren't there different types of "red grit" though? I have two types...one that I use all the time that looks like little pieces of glass (shiny)..and the other type that looks like pieces of hard clay.

I found that with my birds anyway, the red (granite type grit) didn't seem to be satisfying their needs and cravings and they would eat so much of it. So after the oyster shell grit ran out, this is when I started to offer the human grade calcium with D3.

I've only ever seen the one kind of red grit. It does look like clay and stinks. I can't stand the smell of it. I think it's got Anise or something on it. When we have to buy a bag, I refuse to put it in my car.
My birds only eat it sparingly unless it's breeding time and then they literallly hang on the doors waiting for me to bring to them every day.

I think there must be several kinds of Pigeon Grit, because mine isn't red. It is "Pigeon Grit", and it is grey. It has charcoal, oyster shell, and minerals, and my piggies just love it. Nobody has complained yet... I never seen any red, and when I asked for it at several different places, I was always told they can't get "red", just the grey. I did talk to another pigeon keeper that is local, and he said he has always fed the grey. So, I guess it is probably different parts of the country offer different grits. I don't know of any other explanation.....

Maybe you're right. I've seen the gray grit, but what I had was a bunch of little rocks..............nothing special about it.

Well, Renee, maybe you got a bad bag. Mine isn't rocks at all. The piggies sure do eat it tho. It has lots of stuff in it, and it says that there is no need to supplement with any extra oyster shell, too. I have had real good luck with it. It has little black flecks of charcoal, and the birds will pick out what they want anyway. I haven't had any tossed out, or wasted.
*******************************************************
It is made by KAYTEE, and is called Bay-Mor High Calcium Pigeon Grit (Grey)
Hi Calcium, Pigeon Grit. 30% Calcium;
INGRIDEINTS:Calcium iodate; Granite Grit; Salt; Charcoal; Anise Oil; Zinc Oxide; Manganese Oxide; Ferrous Carbonate; Copper Oxide; Calcium Carbonate; Cobalt Carbonate

This is made in Chilton Wisconsin.

Hi Brad, i use a product called The Matrix, It's great stuff does away with all the small pots in the loft, it's got 9 differnt grits, oyster shell, redstone charcoal, clay blocks, minerals and salt, Minerals and vitamins, brewers yeast, and conditioning seeds, and aniseed,
The birds go crazy for it, and they waste none of it, It s used a lot over here and the fanciers swear by it,
the product is only out been out here a while. I am more than happy with it,

Hi Joe,

That Matrix stuff sounds like it's great stuff! Where do you order it from? If you can post a link to a website, that would be great too. I'm going to start a new thread soon about grits with pictures and I hope you will know the real name for the stuff I call, "granite grit", lol.

brad i was on their site but for some rason i can't see the matrix listed, i will take a pic of the tub and post it, it will be a couple of days though, the wife has the camera away on holiday and is nt back until monday night, in the meantime i will post the site link that makes it, there is other good products on it,
http://www.gemsupplements.com/start.htm

Thanks Joe...no rush on the picture, take your time.

I am feeding the red grit which contains alot of extra vitamins and mnerals, even some salt I guess. It seems to provide all that they need as far as mineral, calcium and grit. The last bag that I bought was from Old Elm (Reinders Bros from I think Rhinelander WI) and it does have a little charcoal added. I trust Old Elm and fed this brand of pigeon feed for 40 years or so until it was no longer available here.

I used to feed Red Cross (RedXXX) and I think that was the brand name but not sure. They also made a brand that was not red which I preferred as it did not stain the birds. The red stuff can make a mess on white birds and there is alot of powdery waste in it. The gray one from red cross had oyster shell, smelled like anise and seemed all they needed.

Just plain crushed granite is not enough and is only good as a grit, they still need oyster shell for egg shell developement but it's hard to find small enough for pigeons. I don't worry about the sharpness of the oyster shells as I've never seen any type of injury from it that I'm aware of. I've also read of concerns over the sharp edges of cracked corn and have never seen any injury from it either. Pigeons and birds in general will eat some very hard and sharp pieces of rock that they find and it just becomes part of their grit with no harm to them.

We used to feed all of our egg shells back to the chickens after crushing them up. I have read of concerns over this as well but I'm not sure why. If you're worried about it, boil them first. I still crush the hatched eggshells (after they are good and dry) and put them in the grit bowl. The hens gobble them up.

Bill

I was told to microwave the egg shells and that's what I did when I tried them.

Lovebirds wrote:I was told to microwave the egg shells and that's what I did when I tried them.

I imagine the concern is bacteria that could come from the egg itself as eggs are known to be laden with bacteria when left out at room temp. A good period of drying was all I ever gave them as the bacteria that might have grown can't live without moisture. Nuke em, that should work.

Bill

heres them pics brad,

Where do you get this stuff? I've got a feeling if I google Matrix, I'm going to get that weird guy in the black coat and sunglasses that flies and jumps around in slow motion............