Chicken bald back

[Emz24]

HI

My two chickens and eglu arrived yesterday and I am really pleased...however!

I came down this morning to find a soft, broken egg under the roosting bars.....

Should I introduce grit already even though the omlet man said to wait a few days?...

How do I get them to lay in the nesting box?...

[Chickvic]

I'd leave it a few days and wait and see, they don't always know that they are going to lay a 'softie' and can drop it anywhere. If they lay a hard shelled egg on the roostiing bars then some people recommend crock eggs or golf balls in the nesting box to remind them where to go. I wouldn't worry about having a softie unless it happens often

[Plum]

Don't worry about the odd soft egg as they are only young and things settling. I would put a pot of shell and grit in the run but they will get it from the feed. Laying a soft egg is a bit more difficult for them and I found one of mine laid the first egg in the run. They work it out in a bit.

 

You worry about everything to begin with but enjoy them and hope it stays dry for all that chook watching this weekend.

[Egluntyne]

Nothing to worry about. They often lay soft eggs to start with.

 

Why not pop a couple of golf balls in the nest box to give her the idea to lay there.

[Emz24]

Thanks guys for all the advise on what to do. I'll keep you all posted on what I recieve tomorrow morning!!

[BeckyBoo]

Congratulations!! At least it sounds like egg production is going to start almost straight away!

 

BeckyBoo

[Emz24]

Yeah I am really pleased with how they are getting on, both of them ate out of my hand this morning so am really proud of their proggress.

We had a little trouble getting them in last night as they weren't sure where to go. We tried the whole shining the torch in the eglu and after 15mins in the rain they both went inside and we shut the door. Felt a little mean, but they had to go inside at some point!

[whoopsie]

I had quite a few softies at first until my girls had settled down to laying. Don't worry about them - but clean them up as they can get really stinky if you don't notice them! This forum is great for newbies, everyone was SO reassuring!

 

I guess it's my turn to pitch in now having had them a few months!!

[Emz24]

Yeah I went out this morning and there was nothing but poo, poo, and more poo. In some ways I was quite relieved not to find any eggs.

Its really funny because Tilly dosent like the rain and every time it rains she is straight inside the eglu!!

[sandyhas3chucks]

Grit & oyster grit often get confused, grit is the larger pieces of stones & shells, oyster grit is a fine ground up grey coloured product. The grit is for their gizzard to grind up their tea, because of the lack of teeth, the gizzard is their mechanical stomach, it's very muscular & stirs it all up & grinds it down, you will sometimes see these stones passed out the other end. The oyster grit is to increase their calcium in take as it's soluable.

 

Some "mixed grit also has pieces of shell in it.

Personally mine eat loads of fine crushed oyster shell which is in a coop cup for them to help themselve to.

A pot of mixed grit stands almost untouched but I do scatter it in their run, and they freerange as much as poss, weather provided

[Emz24]

We have now recieved 3 hard eggs in the nesting box and I am really pleased!!

We let them out in to the garden for the first time on Friday and everything was really going well until we had to get them back inside...

i didn't want to chase them around so tried to pick them up. Eventuallly got them inside but how to you get yours back inside?!?!

[Plum]

With first lot corn works really well. New ones are a bit more difficult and I just use a long cane to gently guide them in if bribery doesn't work. Agree with you not to stress them.

[chickenopolis]

Dried Mealworms - shake the pot, they come running and then scatter a few in their run, they go in, shut the door. Job done.

I don't know we would do without that little pot of magic.

Works every single time.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Dried Mealworms - shake the pot, they come running and then scatter a few in their run, they go in, shut the door. Job done.

I don't know we would do without that little pot of magic.

Works every single time.

yup same here!

[docsquid]

Similar here. I have a chicky-treat pot that I rattle and call "Chickens". They come running, flapping and Bokking. I fill my hand with treats and put it into the run. They start eating from my hand, then I drop the rest of the food on the floor of the run and shut the door. Bribery really works. The only time I have trouble is if DH has been spoiling them too much and they've had a too many treats and then they can't be bothered to come for any more.

[jkl]

hi,

 

i think bribery is the solution

 

a couple of grapes (don't go crazy with the amount or the chooks will think the treats are their main food source) cut in two and chucked in the run will get the girls in.

 

i accompany it with me making 'bok bok' noises - next door's kids think its funny. next 's doors kid's mum thinks i'm nuts.............

 

cheers

[Emz24]

Yeah i tried calling them with a hand full of raisins as they were really far from the elgu itself, however they took no notice, which is odd because they are there like a shot when i put raisins in their run?!?!

So i gave up the bribery and used force instead! We eventually guided Tilly in, however Mags was less co-operative. In the end i managed to pick her up an put her inside...

Both of them are getting more and more used to me and they have only been out 3 times, so it may take a little longer!!