Feeding advice for bantams (one broody, one moulting)

[beach chick]

hiya, Paris is almost through her moult now and looking practically like a chicken again.

however, yesterday I found not 1 but 2 softies in the nestbox; usually our eggshells are so hard you have to whack 'em, so I wondered if softies could be associated with coming out of moult?

 

all 7 girls are absolutely fine otherwise, no worms/lice etc, eating well and behaving normally.

in terms of diet: layers pellets, the same made into mash, freeranging all day, grit available as well, treats either in their mash or chucked in separately.

 

the egg count has gone down with the winter, and I've really put this down to the fact that I now only have 1 hybrid (Paris, who's moulting); Char, silver sussex who's moulting; meanwhile the marans and the 2 bantie girls seem to have stopped for the moment. Sugar the white leghorn and Crunchie the light Sussex are doing well, and their eggs are perfect, which makes me think it's not a dietary thing...

 

any ideas? thanks all.

[yelsel20]

Hi everyone,

Have been "babysitting" my sisters two Warrens (Bunty and Roxy), one of which has laid two softies in the past week, the first the yolk and white were delivered first which I found in the litter tray to the cube. Bunty laid the soft shell about an hour later. She picked up quickly from this but laid a second one this morning. She is not yet a year old and as such not going into moult this year.

 

All my girls have layers mash with bakashi bran, mixed with spoonful of poultry spice and spoonful of seaweed. They all are healthy, eating and drinking well. Bunty did have feather lice about the same time the first softie was laid but am assured this would not have been the cause.

 

Grit is readily available and they semi-free range - they have a large enclosure at the top end of the garden.

 

Any suggestions as to what might be going on - or is this quite normal for this time of the year.

[Snowy]

It does appear to be linked to the moult. One of mine lays a few softies before the moult, then again when she comes back into lay afterwards.

[beach chick]

thanks snowy - fingers crossed Paris is getting the hang of things again then!! tho I was a bit flummoxed by 2 at once...

[beach chick]

and another one this morning, outside the cube though!

[yelsel20]

I have another softie this morning, everything but the shell, perfectly formed yolk, white and skin! In the cube litter tray. Mabel was trying to lay at about 4.00 last night but there was nothing in the nest when I put them to bed last night. Oh dear!

[beach chick]

I've just found another one in the litter tray too... not quite sure what to do really. if its Paris getting back in gear that's one thing, but if someone else is laying them I dont know why!!! and as I said at the beginning, our egg shells are generally rock hard!

[yelsel20]

Hiya

 

Am just off to pick up my new girls from a chap who has selling chickens for over 50 years and will ask him about this when I see h im. Will feed back to you later.

[beach chick]

oo thanks yelsel, and good luck with the new girls!!

[yelsel20]

Hiya

 

New girls home and safely tucked up for the night with Mabel, Olive, Edna, Bunty and Roxy.

 

The chap suggested in his experience the most likely cause of soft eggs is a fright of some sort, ie. fox, dog, unlikely the cat, children, birds of prey, fireworks. He advices that it is not uncommon and if all else is well with the birds then we are not to worry unduly. As long as they are eating and drinking and behaving normally they well sort themselves out.

 

I have given my girls a drop of rescue remedy on a grape each to get them through this.

 

Hope this is helpful. I am sure all experts will have their own ideas.

 

Watch and wait I suppose is all we can do.

 

Best wishes.

 

Lesley

[beach chick]

oh well, wait and see then I guess! hope all's well with the new girls in the morning