How Best to Sterilize Oyster Shell?

[D-Man]

I have been giving my Gouldians egg shell but want to give them a little oyster shell as well. While vacationing last week, I saved an oyster shell from dinner and know that it needs to be sterilized. Any suggestions on how to do this? In terms of presentation, I was going to wrap the shell in a towell and break it up with a hammer. How small should the pieces be? I suspect they should be grounded up pretty finely, like I do with the eggshell.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts/recommendations.

[Sally]

Unless you are in an area that has little shopping, I don't think I'd bother with trying to break it up, it is very hard. You can buy a box of oystershell grit pretty inexpensively at pet shops or I think even Walmart carries this now. You don't want the kind labeled 'gravel', as that is for birds that don't hull their seed. Oystershell grit is very good for finches, as it has lots of calcium.

Since I have a lot of birds, I bought a bag of oystershell grit at the feed store, which they sell for poultry--figured I'd save a little money. But it really isn't worth it, I have to grind it up in my food processor to get it smaller, and the grit scratched the sides of the bowl something awful. Just a real pain and not worth the savings.

[D-Man]

Thanks Sally.

Regretfully, I live in South Korea, so it difficult for me to purchase supplies commonly available in the States (I suspect tariffs and shipping run up the costs significantly ). There is a local Gouldian network here I am trying to tap into, but language becomes an issue. I am trying to determine whether Korean enthusiasts produce/procure locally or import. The major bird stores in Seoul carry a limited range of feeding supplements; if they do not have it, they tell you to purchase from foreign/overseas websites.