Omlet cube and run

[Peaches]

My girls' eggshells are often a bit soft - I have been baking and crushing old shells and putting this into their feed as a help. But maybe this is not enough?

 

I've had a look through old posts and just wanted a steer on the best way to get the right amount of calcium into their systems. I've put mixed grit out with their food so I was thinking they should be getting enough. However, I let them free range for a good part of the day, so maybe this is disturbing the balance?

 

Thanks for any help - Fiona

[Bramble]

Hello!! I can't really help here, just wanted to say you are not alone, my chucks often lay softies, well not softies exactly, just thin shelled eggs. Like you I've tried most of the suggestions on here, at the moment we're persevering with mash made from their usual meal crumbs, mixed with water, limestone flour a bit of extra egg shell and/or grit and a blob of cod liver oil for good measure. Don't think it's making any difference, but the chucks like it!!!

[Peaches]

Thanks, Bramble. I'm just a bit worried (okay, panicking actually) as Jackie O is sat huddled under the coop again. This happened last week and we aren't sure if it's because she oozed an egg with no shell and also seemed to have trouble with her crop. So not sure which end is causing her difficulties. OH gave her crop a massage this morning and hope this will work.

 

I love having chickens and was distraught when the fox got our last batch of ex-batts, but today I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Plus one of my springers is lame.

[Bramble]

I know what you mean, if I'm not stressing about my dog, its my chickens and to be honest, it's usually both, whoever said having pets is good for stress was having a laugh

That said it is wonderful to have pets, I certainly wouldn't be without them, I just wish they weren't such a worry!!

I've heard other omleteers say that their chucks quite often look very poorly when they are about to lay a "softie", but then bounce back to normal the moment the egg is laid. Hopefully someone who actually knows what they're talking about will be along with some property advice shortly! Good luck!

[The Dogmother]

I see that they are ex-batts; you can expect more egg-tackle problems with them, and soft shells are part of the parcel.

 

Add some limestone flour to their feed after coating the pellets with some cod liver oil, that will help unless their shell glands are knackered, which isn't unusual for batts. I'd be tempted to encourage them to lay less by feeding with growers feed, and add a good quality poultry tonic to their water.

[Peaches]

Thanks, Claret. I've just gone and bought some limestone flour from the local horse place and will feed it to them now. I've also add some VermEx to the water which I haven't done for a while.

 

Jackie O has just laid an egg without any shell - it looks just like a thin film of clear membrane. I hope she perks up now as she's been hiding most of the morning.

 

Thanks for the advice. Hadn't thought about growers' feed - will go and get some.

 

Fiona

 

Just noticed that VermEx is a parasite control thing not tonic. Hopefully some Bird Spice will do. BTW what foods are good non-laying foods eg grapes, corn etc? Sorry for all the questions, but finding my feet again.

[The Dogmother]

Make sure that you drizzle a bit of cod liver oil on the pellets when you give the limestone flour; it helps them to absorb the calcium.

 

They may decide to lay less now that longer nights are coming, but TBH they find it hard to stop the habit when they get out of the cages. Growers will help a bit though, plenty of green stuff too, Alfalfa powder is a good source of nutrients as well. I wouldn't worry too much about avoiding treats (except for corn which is fattening) as the last thing you need to worry about is them stopping laying, if anything they need a bit of a rest.

 

Have you wormed them since you've had them? I'd worm with Flubenvet as prescribed on the pack and see if that helps.

 

Some ex-batts' egg tackle is in better condition than others, but the enforced laying leaves them a bit exhausted as you probably know. Any break they can get from laying will help them to recover.

[Peaches]

Claret

 

I've just finished a course of flub - over 7 days in their feed. Jackie O isn't looking very good. She's never had as much colour as the rest of the girls - stayed white on the head and light pink in the comb. Her feathers on her head haven't grown back, partially because she gets pecked the most.

 

I'm having that awful feeling I had with my Samosa who died of egg peritonitis. Although Jackie O is ex-barn and not ex-batt I don't think they come out in much better condition.

 

She's sitting quietly under a bush and not eating much .... I love my chickens, but they are heartbreaking too. I had hoped onced she'd laid she'd perk up. ..

 

Thanks for the advice.

[The Dogmother]

I can't add much else to help I'm afraid, that's the baggage you get with ex-batts; some go on to lay and thrive while others are just worn out. Don't forget that they have had a lovely retirement with you and the chance to enjoy some freedom, however brief. Do all you can to boost them up, but celebrate their freedom rather than mourning their passing.

[Peaches]

I just wanted to say that things are looking very good at the moment and am writing this to say thank you and in the hope that this may help others.

 

I took on the advice given above and did the following:

 

Changed their feed to mostly growers' pellets

Added a tonic to their water

Added limestone flour to the feed with cod liver oil to stick it to the feed

 

It never occurred to me that I didn't have to feed them layers' mash/pellets and I'm hoping this will give them a break. Jackie O who was the most poorly is still very white but happily grazing in the garden.

 

Thanks - Fiona

[The Dogmother]

That sounds like good news.

 

A 'good' treat that they might like would be dried mealworms or dried gammarus shrimps, both are very high in protein, especially the latter, and they go absolutely berserk for them