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Feed the flock
that feeds your home
Clean calcium from Maine oyster shells, for the hens you know by name
In your family, hens aren’t just livestock.
They’re part of the rhythm of your home.
You collect their eggs. You watch over them. You know their quirks, their pecking orders, and the sound they make when they want your attention.
You want healthy chickens, producing strong and nutritious eggs. You want more control over your food, less dependence on the store, and a piece of land that gives something back.
Laying eggs pulls calcium from a chicken’s body.
oyster shells replenish it.
Laying hens’ bodies prioritize egg production over their own physical health. So getting insufficient calcium can cause widespread skeletal, reproductive, and neurological damage.
Crushed oyster shells allows laying hens to self-regulate their calcium intake, ensuring they have what they need to build strong shells and maintain peak physical health.
Impact on eggshells:
Thicker, stronger shells
Smooth surface texture
Consistent egg production
Elimination of rubbery eggs
Impact on chickens’ health:
Smooth egg passing
Muscle control
Fast wound healing
Additionally, giving your flock the minerals they need stops stress-induced behaviors like egg-eating and feather-pecking.
From Maine’s oysters to your flock
At Oxwhale, we source our oyster shells by collecting them from seafood processors in and around Portland Maine.
We wash and heat-sterilize them, then crush them to the perfect ingestible size for laying hens.
100% natural. No fillers. No additives. No synthetics.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Serve it free-choice to your chickens.
Place the crushed shell in a separate dry dish next to their regular feed.
They are very good at regulating their own calcium intake, and will take what they need.
DO NOT mix it in with their regular feed. This could potentially cause forced over-consumption, which could lead to kidney damage.
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As a simple rule of thumb, an average laying hen will consume ~1 pound per month.
But each individual bird is different, and might need more or less than that depending on a few factors.
We recommend starting with a 1-month supply, then monitoring how quickly your birds consume it, so you know how often to get more.
For example, if you have five chickens, one 5-pound bag should last approximately one month.
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Nothing but oyster shells.
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Yes, but with caveats.
Turkeys can eat this no problem, and have large calcium needs as well. Although, they might need double or more than a chicken would.
Ducks and geese also have high calcium demands. But often this size of shell crumble might be too large for their bills. There’s a variety of sizes in each of our bags, we recommend sifting smaller pieces to give to ducks and geese.
Quail and pheasants would benefit from the calcium, but also require smaller fragments that need to be sifted out.
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While oyster shells acts as a temporary soluble grit, it does eventually dissolve in the digestive tract, so it doesn’t perform the same function as a true gizzard stone.
If your birds eat only commercial chicken feed and have zero access to grass, treats, or dirt, they do not need grit. Commercial feed is designed to dissolve instantly in water and stomach acid without any grinding.
If your chickens roam a large yard with access to natural dirt, they will instinctively find and swallow their own small pebbles and stones, which usually makes store-bought grit unnecessary.
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Feel free to contact us directly at support@oxwhale.com
FREE SHIPPING!
Five pound bag of crushed oyster shells.
Give your laying hens the natural calcium they need for strong, healthy eggshells. Made from 100% Maine oyster shells; washed, heat-dried, and crushed to the perfect size for your backyard flock.
Benefits:
Prevents thin, rubbery, or easily cracked eggs.
Keeps your high-producing layers from pulling calcium from their own bones.
Contains larger flakes for slow-release digestion, and smaller pieces for fast calcium absorption.
100% Natural. Zero additives, zero synthetic chemicals. Just pure oyster shells.
How to Feed:
Serve "Free-Choice"
Place the crushed shells in a separate, dry dish next to their regular layer feed.
Your hens are incredibly smart. They will naturally eat the right amount of calcium they need, when they need it!
How Many Bags to Get:
One chicken consumes approximately 1 lb. per month.
Each chicken is different, so this will vary based on how much calcium they’re already getting in their diet. Observe your chickens’ eating behavior for the first month to see how much they eat, then you can plan accordingly.
A 5 lb bag is roughly a 1 month supply for a small backyard flock of 5 hens.
1 chicken? One bag should last ~5 months.
5 chickens? One bag should last ~1 month.
10 chickens? We recommend getting two bags, which should last ~1 month.
What customers are saying
Results or refund
If you don’t get what you wanted out of our oyster shells, you’re covered.
180-day money-back guarantee
No returns required
No questions asked
Problem? We make it right
Questions?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
(207) 250-5888
We’d love to hear from you and talk about your chickens, and the rest of your backyard food system!
Problems, issues, concerns? Talk to us, we’ll make it right.