veggiemad Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I'm still new to this having only had my ex batts for little over 2 weeks. Am coping with most things - i think- but today was a bit shocked when i found a yolk in the droppings tray!! I'm guessing this is whats known as a softie - but it litterally had NO shell at all. if it had been laid elsewhere i think it would've been eaten - am i right? do softies have any shells? Should i be worried? i think i know which hen laid it and shes fine. when do i worry and how often do they lay softies/shellessies! she has laid before, fine, about 2 a week i think. advice gratefully received! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Fear not, they do lay softies!!! Make sure they have enough calcuim, maybe add some limestone flour to their food. I am sure other more experienced peeps will be along soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiccadees3 Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I've had my exbatts 3 months now and poor parsley is prone to laying 2 eggs a day - 12 hours apart as that is what she did in the battery farm. Her second egg was always soft. Like a rubber toy. However one day I saw her actually do an egg with no membrane. She eventually stopped doing them. Last week she did 3 extra softies as well as her normal eggs so comes and goes. I just make sure they have plenty of grit, oystershell, poultry spice in their food. I really do recommend the Smallholder range exbatt crumbs. Ours had them for a month and now I mix it in with normal layers mash. I gives them the extra boost they need. Also dried mealworms to help with their feathers - they love them I love my exbatts and worry so much about them as I just want to give them the best in life. I am sure you will have a lot of fun with them, they are such characters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I had softies last week from one of my girls and asked for advice on this forum - cod liver oil and limestone flour did the trick and within 42 hours I was back to beautiful eggs again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiccadees3 Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Great choice of names by the way I have Sage, Onion and Parsley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggiemad Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 thankyou to everyone, i feel like i have lots of chickens friends to turn too - i'm off to find some online limestone flour! thanks again. and thanks from the girls too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 thankyou to everyone, i feel like i have lots of chickens friends to turn too - i'm off to find some online limestone flour! thanks again. and thanks from the girls too! you'll get limestone flower from a horse feed merchant dried meal worms help with calcium conversion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggiemad Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 hi- me again- have just looked up limestone flour and it comes in all size packets from 100g to 5kg!! can anyone tell me how much am i likely to need? how much do they have each day? also- am i letting them free range too much and hence they are not eating enough of their ex batt crumb? thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggiemad Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 i give them a handful of dried meal worms each evening to lure them into the run! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 hi- me again- have just looked up limestone flour and it comes in all size packets from 100g to 5kg!! can anyone tell me how much am i likely to need? how much do they have each day?also- am i letting them free range too much and hence they are not eating enough of their ex batt crumb? thanks again I had to buy 3kg its far to much but i don't go off i hope I think its a teaspoon per bird but I might be wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
