Coturnix quail hens who lay eggs – and all backyard game bird and poultry females – benefit from supplemental calcium. But how do you give quail the tiny pieces of calcium-rich natural foods they could consume? Here I’ll show how to make oyster shell powder from real flaked oyster shells for Coturnix quail health:
How to Make Oyster Shell Powder for Coturnix Quail Health
Stores do not sell oyster shell powder for Coturnix quail. But I promise it is easy to powder natural oyster shells so your quail hens can consume the pieces! First, you need to purchase a true, 100% flaked oyster shell product. Please read the description carefully to ensure it is 100% pure, all flaked oyster shell and not a seashell mix. (After 2020 oyster shell supplements have been in short supply and Amazon sellers have been sneaky about filling boxes with crushed seashells instead of flaked oyster shells!) Scratch & Peck Feeds brand has always been a quality product for me. (Afflinks)
Supplies Needed to Make Oyster Shell Powder:
100% flaked oyster shell (again, read the description carefully!)
An OLD blender you don’t mind being scuffed up – OR –
These are Amazon affiliate links above.
Screen the Flaked Oyster Shell Pieces
This step is the only time-consuming part. You’ll need to scoop out about a half a cup of the flaked oyster shell pieces and remove any thick or especially hard bits. These simply won’t grind up easily so remove them now. These larger pieces can be given to chickens, used in the garden or compost for extra calcium or sprinkled on the ground in a quail aviary to return calcium to the soil. Once you have 1/4 to 1/2 cup of thinner, easy-to-break oyster shell flakes, you are ready for the next step.
Blending or Grinding the Flakes to a Powder
This will badly scratch up and ruin the interior of your nice blender so don’t try it. (Ask me how I know!) Only use an old blender you don’t mind badly scuffing up or a mortar and pestle. To make oyster shell powder you will simply blend or grind a small amount of the flaked oyster shell until the pieces are tiny, like a coarse beach sand. This size piece is easy for Coturnix quail hens to pick up and swallow.
Coturnix Quail Hens Don’t Need Much!
Once you have made about a half cup of oyster shell powder, you are done for a month or two! You’ll simply add 1/8 of a teaspoon of the oyster shell powder to the quail feed once or twice a week. You can also sprinkle it into a dish of fresh dust bathing sand for the hens to find. The hens do not need much at all and will eat the few pieces they need.
Do Not Feed Oyster Shell Powder to Quail Chicks
Coturnix quail chicks and juveniles do not need oyster shell powder or supplemental calcium. Giving juvenile quails calcium supplements does not make them start laying faster. Oyster shell powder is for adult hens who are already laying. You’ll notice your roosters tend to leave it alone and ignore it.
Can I Make Quail Egg Shell Powder?
Yes, you can feed crushed quail egg shells back to the quail hens as a source of supplemental calcium! Some Coturnix hens won’t eat any egg shell pieces so if you offer tiny pieces and they are not being consumed, don’t fret. Sprouted microgreens, fresh 3-leaf clover heads, fresh spinach and other bits of just-picked greens are excellent sources of dietary calcium that will nourish the quail hen’s bodies just as well!
What Should I Do With Leftover Quail Eggs if the Hens Don’t Eat Them?
Chickens LOVE quail egg shells and greedily eat them as a calcium supplement. If you don’t have chickens, you can also feed the empty shells raw to dogs as a calcium boost. Crushed quail egg shells are a great addition to compost piles and front flower beds, too!
Anything Else I Need to Know?
Flaked oyster shell that comes in 5 or 10 pound bags will not go bad so you can get years of use from one purchase. Simply keep it clean & dry, and then grind it as needed. Storing powdered oysters in a parmesan cheese shaker jar can make adding it to feed quick and easy. I hope this article on how to make oyster shell powder has been helpful and given you another way to lovingly care for your backyard Coturnix quail covey!
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