urban farmer Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Hi I have 2 hens one laying well no problems but the other laying softies. They have same diet but sortie layer is smaller and down the pecking order. No sign of parasites etc. Any thought or advise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moochoo Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I'm assuming you've wormed them as you say no parasites. Do they have treats on top of their pellets? If so cut the treats out for a few weeks and see if that helps. Are they getting access to grit as they need that for calcium. You can suppliment their calcium by adding limestone flour to their food (available from equestrian supplier) or Zolcal D to their water. You don't say how old they are, if they've just started to lay or are older hens this can just be part of the egg starting/ finishing process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban farmer Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Hi they are about 22 weeks old. I have been using ditomat for worming? Wrong spelling I think? They get treats but dorathy (softie)tends to miss out as marjorie beats her to them every time. She isn't pale, but she is smaller of the 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgies Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I'd be inclined to use Flubenvet to worm them - it seems to be the best wormer out there. Hopefully she'll just start getting herself into gear and laying proper eggs soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I've been getting loads of softies from my girls too . Tried the Zolcal D, improved things a bit, now trying more limestone flour with cod liver oil (which aids calcium absorption). There seems to be a lot of it about at the moment - I'm just hoping it'll pass . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 If they are only 22 weeks, then they are still very young and new to laying. Their egg laying tackle probably just needs a little longer to settle down. I'd cut out treats for a few days, apart from perhaps a handful of corn to lure them back into the run at night. It might help. I'd give them a course of flubenvet if they are free ranging too, as has been suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I was reading a book I got for Christmas. Its a reprint of How to get eggs from s"Ooops, word censored!"s. It suggested that the softies might be due to lack of greens! I have started getting softies (about one a week) since the girls were shut away in their crouch-in-run. They are let out at the weekend so they do get some, just not as much as when they were fully free ranging. But the fussy madams don't like lettuce and cabbage, but they do like dandylions. Usually I have loads of the blighters in my garden, but I can only find a few Law of sod at work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 "Crouch in run" - There may be something in that . My softies started not long after the WIR was up . I'll need to find something green they'll eat . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Yes, it's crouch in as it's about 5ft tall. Any taller and it would have been higher than the fence and would have looked odd. The mount of times I have bashed my head though . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Yes, it's crouch in as it's about 5ft tall. Any taller and it would have been higher than the fence and would have looked odd. The mount of times I have bashed my head though . . . yours sounds just like my wir same didnt want it higher than a 6foot fence and if i am dopey morning have bopped my head a few times...... Back to the soft eggs, as mine have cleared the wir I just give them cow parsley and have been throwing in dandelions and long grass by the handful(just make sure it hasnt been sprayed by the local farmer if you have collected it from field side..spraying season now) But mine demolish this...I had softies as mine are new to laying , I wasnt really sure who was the offending chicken but made sure they had grit/greens and layers pellets and water and it seems to have resolved they have only been laying a couple of weeks. I do now throw the grit around the run and its in a low dog bowl and a little in the layers(although i understand that has all they need anyway..) 5 chickens went from 2 eggs to 5 sometimes just 3 or 4...all shapes and sizes. Approx 25=26weeks old Good luck indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Indie, be careful with that long grass. I understand it can cause an impacted crop . When they normally eat grass which is growing they peck tiny bits off which the crop can cope with. I was chucking handfuls of mown grass in recently but read advice here that it wasn't a good idea even though the grass was short . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Indie, be careful with that long grass. I understand it can cause an impacted crop . When they normally eat grass which is growing they peck tiny bits off which the crop can cope with. I was chucking handfuls of mown grass in recently but read advice here that it wasn't a good idea even though the grass was short . Thanks for that I had no idea that could happen!! Will stick to cow parsley in future as I have tons of it...do they like stinging nettles as I have tons of those...in fact I plan to let them out to eat up all along our dry ditch and contain them in electric fencing..soon. I am so pleased with their destroy the weed efforts...sorry have diverted the main topic but thanks indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 They dont seem to eat the nettles - these are about all I am left with!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I was going to let them out on tons of nettles but this afternoon lounge door wide open...dog asleep on sofa..when suddenly cluckety cluck mad clucks and nice big fox is at the wir...for once stupid spaniel went after mr fox...and not in the opposite direction that he did with Ginger tom cat yesterday AND I got two softies two days running again as well! Most of the time its the pellets they have I just throw in the green stuff when i remember. So I hope the egg laying settles down, would be a bit miffed if I was getting two softies every day. My dog enjoys eating them fresh out of the poo tray..so someone is happy. Blooming fox was thinking netting....electrified but now I think i need to electrify the perimeter of WIR and zAp foxxy...indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 If the fox is a regular visitor, stress could be the cause of the soft eggs, Indie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hi Yes I am sure our fox is a regular visitor...as we always have them anytime anyplace.. I am still getting softies for about 2 weeks. I have 5 chickens and most days we get 3or 4 eggs, I have only ever had 5 eggs once. I did worm them with Flubenvet a couple of weeks ago so didnt know if I should do that again? I am not going to give them supplements as they are getting all the nutrients in their feed and grit etc Only a little bit of corn. I even restricted giving them the handful of cow parsley from the garden. And the other chickens must be getting all nutrients fine. I just think one of my chickens is not so great in the production department...not worried as long as they are ok on the whole. I am around for the next few days so hope the fox wont bother them too much (I can well imagine it sniffing at night time...blooming thing) I am going to set up a spare energiser and put a strand of horse tape low down to zap it. Blooming thing thanks indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
