How can I find my old pictures?

[Luvachicken]

OK, so I think it is Molly that is laying the soft shelled eggs.

I had them both on Enhance Feather, Shell and Bone tonic  recently and that seemed to do the trick as well as having the new Gourmet grit.

I stopped the Enhance stuff after about 10 days leaving them with just the grit.

I didn't get any eggs for the last week or so, until today when I found the remains of a softie that had mostly been eaten. I assumed it had been too hot for them to lay eggs

I do need to worm them, I just ordered the Marriages Flubenvet pellets today but I was hoping the Gourmet Grit would do the trick on it's own for the soft shells.

Do you think it's OK to give them a supplement all the time ? I thought I read something about calcium not being absorbed so well when it is hot and I don't want to overdose them on vitamins and stuff either.

[The Dogmother]

I think that perhaps the bit you read about heat and calcium absorption may have been me spouting on about ACV... There's a reaction when ACV is used in the heat, where the birds are less able to absorb calcium.

The usual things I advice to run through when there are soft-shelled eggs are:

• Age of bird
• Last worming
• What are they fed?

These questions cover all the usual causes, and if those are addressed, then that leaves a shell gland malfunction; sometimes caused by infections such as Infectious Bronchitis or Mycoplasma, but can equally be down to age.

I would send off a faecal worm test kit to see if they need doing. (Westgate Labs are great) cut their feed back t pellets with a bit of nettex's mineral boost powder in them, water and a few dark greens at the end of the day. See how they go and report back. 

 

[Luvachicken]

14 hours ago, The Dogmother said:

I think that perhaps the bit you read about heat and calcium absorption may have been me spouting on about ACV... There's a reaction when ACV is used in the heat, where the birds are less able to absorb calcium.  Ah, this must be what I read about and got muddled.

• Age of bird Molly is 3 and I think it is her that lays them, Gemma is almost 8.
• Last worming I wormed them in January
• What are they fed? They are fed Garvo Layers Pellets with the odd bit of those Super Seeds that I bought with the Gourmet grit.

These questions cover all the usual causes, and if those are addressed, then that leaves a shell gland malfunction; sometimes caused by infections such as Infectious Bronchitis or Mycoplasma, but can equally be down to age. Let's hope it's down to age then as they both seem pretty well.

I would send off a faecal worm test kit to see if they need doing. (Westgate Labs are great) cut their feed back t pellets with a bit of nettex's mineral boost powder in them, water and a few dark greens at the end of the day. See how they go and report back. I already ordered the Marriages Flubenvet Pellets so will worm them anyway. Do you think next time it is better to get a worm count first and then worm them if you need to ? Mine are confined to their run all the time so have no wild birds to contend with as they can't get in, so I often wonder if they can actually get worms.

 

 

[The Dogmother]

It's always best to check and the worm count test can throw up anything else too.

[Luvachicken]

On 6/27/2020 at 1:01 PM, The Dogmother said:

It's always best to check and the worm count test can throw up anything else too.

OK,  I will do that first, next time I need to worm them, many thanks x

I guess there is no point worming them if they don't need it. I presume then, after you have sent off a sample and it comes back clear, you just send another sample in 3 months time ?

[The Dogmother]

Yes, that's right

[Luvachicken]

Thank you DM 😊

Well, today has been a very good day  - I actually got 2 eggs with 2 shells 

They don't seem to be very good at sharing and make a lot noise about the whole situation. The last few days have been horrible with the amount of noise they've made.

I think I must have the noisiest Pekins ever. It's getting me down a bit. I've thrown them treats, apple, courgette and broccoli but still they make the noise.

No one has complained but they might if it carries on.

They eventually share the nest box with one at each end 

[The Dogmother]

😂 you eventually learn to ignore although I have been known to shout "will you SHUT UP!" out of the door. 

[mullethunter]

Oh we do that all the time!