Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[Staffordmum]

Hi,

 

We adopted two girls from North London earlier this year and were told there was the "occasional" softie. In fact, there is nothing but ...

 

I'm not at all certain MaryAnn is laying anything & has never recovered from her limp.

 

Ginger appears to be the one laying the softies, the nest area of the Cube is always damp & sticky Last w/e I finally caught her devouring whatever mess she just laid.

 

The girls have a varied diet, to include grit & various supplements in the water. I have no idea as to their age or origin.

 

Is there a cure to this or have we just provided a happy retirement home for these two girls? ...

 

Kind rgds, Pat & Steve

[sjp]

have a read of this it might help http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1003/factors-influencing-shell-quality

also are you sure thier eating the grit I had a problem with my grit feeder holes not being big enough

[Egluntyne]

This is the risk one takes when offering to rehome hens.

 

One hen that I rehomed a couple of years ago was supposed to be a good layer, but lonely etc. Turned out that she was heaving with worms and lice and didn't lay for quite a few months.

[Olly]

oh dear - I'm afraid it is a risk with rehoming hens, they may not always be as described. I assume you've tried adding limestone flour to their feed?

 

Sounds as if you may have just taken on a couple of pensioners.

[Staffordmum]

I assume you've tried adding limestone flour to their feed?

 

Sounds as if you may have just taken on a couple of pensioners.

 

Mmm, pensioners - yes!

 

Limestone flour - a new one on me. Where does one purchase this?

 

And how do you break the habit of an egg eating hen? I assume she won't do this if she actually lays a hard shell egg - she doesn't interfere with any of the other eggs - at least I don't think she does! ...

 

Rgds, Pat & Steve

[Hen Watch]

Limestone flour - a new one on me. Where does one purchase this?

 

You buy a big tub of Limestone Flour from a Horse supply outlets / Tack shops. There are various brand names like Baileys or NAF.

 

This is the stuff and you just add a spoonful to their pellets :

 

http://www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/whatproduct/supplements/lime.htm

 

http://www.naf-uk.com/products/detail.php?id=91

[sparkysmum]

re limestone flour - I buy mine on ebay. Numerous people sell it, mostly for tortoises etc. I just add it to their feed every day. It takes some time to have an effect & I reckon once the hens are old & calcium depleted nothing much helps. Our Boris lays mostly thin shelled eggs or softees just now despite the limestone flour.

[beulah59]

I understood you can overdose hens on calcium so that it's not good to make limestone flour a regular additive to their feed. I was advised to add it every day for a week to see if it made any difference .... and then to stop and see if any improvement continued. But not to add it as a matter of routine?

[sandyhas3chucks]

It would be a limp that alerted me to needing calcium also, but have to say I have had the same exp as Sparkysmum with the oldies although the calcium CAN help some of the time.

There does seem to be differing opinions on the adding of calcium. have to say 2 dif vets said not a problem, as will come out on shells anyway.

If you are worried, boith ZolcalD (liquid) And Nutrabol (powder with phosphorous) can be given directly to chook! Nutrabol is 1 pinch per kg of animal so not much & I add this to chopped grapes or damp bread & give directly to the ones I know need it.

I find that mine are more likely to eat the thinner shells, of course they will all scoff a softee! def best eaten straight away.

Also grit is used to grind the food, it is crushed oyster shell that has the calcium, so depends which you are using, have a couple that will almose make a snack out of crushed OS, and lay extrordinary strong shells when doing so! (all ex bats by the way!)