A chicken’s digestive system is equipped to digest calcium carbonate very effectively. Limestone is the main source of calcium in poultry. The addition of limestone fragments increases the overall skeleton strength of the chickens and helps with the development of the eggshells.
In Feedmaster’s Layer Mash, two types of limestone are used in a combination to achieve the optimal calcium level in the final feed namely fine limestone and limestone grit (coarse limestone). The limestone grit that is used is seen as small rock-like pebbles. The reason for using limestone grit is that the pebble slowly releases the calcium over a longer period of time especially during the times when chickens do not eat, like in the night - to ensure that there is always enough calcium available for shell formation of the egg. Other benefits include the aid of the mechanical and grinding digestion in the gizzard.
If calcium carbonate is removed, the chicken’s skeletal structure will not develop properly. Eggshells will become thin or crack easily. This addition of larger sized calcium carbonate pebbles is one of the main reasons why Feedmaster’s Layer feed is a mash and not a pellet. If you pelletize the layer feed the size of the limestone particle would be too small for proper slow and long-lasting absorption in the chicken’s digestive tract.
