chaliapin Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Short story - no eggs. Long story- Got 4 hens just under 18month, ex free range layers, brown hens. Housed them in a shed with a perch, fed them corn and they ranged freely and layed a couple of eggs a day for a couple of weeks. January I think this was. Then they went off and laid some baggy eggs. Realised they needed a better diet, got them layers mash and ground up baked eggshells for them annd kitchen leftovers. They were pretty miserable looking when i got them, bald bums etc, feathers all now grown back and they're looking lovely. They were moved from the shed into a home made house with a wooden base and the rest made from wood, chicken wire and plastic sheeting which is reasonably opaque and seems dry and cosy enough to me. They've been in there maybe six weeks, seem very happy (they also have a comic bantam cross cockerel to keep them amused. They are let out around 8am every day and roam freely pecking and bathing etc. One ( the best looking from the beginning) has a lovely large red comb, the others have smaller and pinkinsh combs. Seems they should be laying by now and the farmer I spoke to thought they might be all laid out from the egg farm and I should maybe find some younger ones. Apart from anything else money's really tight and I'm fond of them. I have have discussed with the chickens their obligations and that they have to pull their weight, they keep telling me there will be eggs tomorrow but they never come. I think they laid a baggy egg last week and that's it for ages. I've threatened them with the pot but they don't think I'll go through with it. PLease advise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Welcome to the forum 1. I think you should only feed them on layers mash or pellets. Keep other food to a minmum as a treat in the afternoon 2. Worm them with flubenvent that you mix into thier feed for 7 days or buy 10kg Marriages layers with flubenvent 3. Check them for mites and lice. You can treat them with ivermectin spot on not licended for chickens 4. Prevention is better than cure. Treat the house with lice and mite powder every week 5. Keep up with the baked egg shells. I find that if you wash them in cold water and put them in the micro wave for 1 minute works a treat 6 They also need oyster shells and gritt I am sure other will also be able to give you advice. Keeping chickens is not cheap and my eggs would be the most expensive on the market if I sold them. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'd worm them with flubenvet and keep them in their run for longer so that they eat more of their mash, which will provide them with more nutrients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliapin Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 hi, thanks for replies, bought flubenvet. Have checked for lice etc, no signs. What is the difference with grit, oyster shell and egg shell, is it all for calcium? Can I use ground up sea shells? I'm very near the sea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliapin Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Thanks all. when I said Ihad checked for lice it was over a week ago, checked again and sure enough, nasty little bugs round the rear area, ordered some diatom powder, do i need to treat directly as well. Thought i'd been taking good care of them but seems they're ill all over. hmm, poor biddies. Hope the worming and powder will fix them up, bought some oyster shell too. What's the difference with grit, oyster shell and crushed eggg shell, are they for different purposes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 What's the difference with grit, oyster shell and crushed eggg shell, are they for different purposes? I used to just give mine grit but had a problem with soft eggs and was told to use oyster shell too. I now also put in crushed egg shell and limestone flour. That seemed to fix the problem for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliapin Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 Success! Day three of worm treatment, 2 eggs, next two, then 3 yesterday and today. Brilliant. Ok, but birds still have bad lice despite powdering, how much powdering do they need, or do I need the ivermectin? If so, which strength, there seem to be different percentage strenghths, any ideas? Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
