egg problems

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redjane11

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egg problems
« on: March 06, 2008, 21:22 »
got two girls, were laying fine but for the last couple months not many eggs,  now getting soft eggs, thye have oyster shell am going to start them on poultry cod liver oil, also they have started egg eating . are they maybe lacking in something? going to put something nasty in egg shell to put them off egg eating but need ideas on both probs
Adopt a chicken

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GrannieAnnie

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egg problems
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2008, 22:37 »
How old are they?  Soft shells sometimes mean the chooks are getting older, when it does happen more often, and they usually lay less or not at all in the winter months.

The egg eating just means that when they lay soft shelled eggs, these are easily broken and a broken egg is free dinner to them.  they don't realise what they are doing.  I don't think it is done on purpose.

Our ex battery girls laid fewer and fewer eggs and many of them were soft shelled, and we got a lot of egg eaters.

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redjane11

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« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2008, 11:14 »
we got one last year at point of lay and the other is an old girl must be 4 or 5 years old, possibly even older. mixed some bread and milk this morn and put the oyster shell in that with the cod liver oil so i know they eating it, am also half way through worming them as a precaution as the old girl always seems to have a dirty behind (not upset tum).  The young one also layed a very soft egg again this morning, if you touch them to roughly they just break very soft, wonder if maybe they breaking as she lays them when they hit the straw, managed to rescue that one as well.  they free range. and are given mixed corn, not pellets, wonder if they are missing something as they used to have pellets as well, apart from that they are healthy If this carries on hubby will get rid as they are not earning there keep

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Aunt Sally

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« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2008, 11:26 »
Yes, I think you should put them back on to pellets again !  

Mixed corn is great for them in the late afternoon to give plenty of energy to keep them warm during the night, but you can't be certain that they will get a balanced diet from freeranging, especially enough calcium unless you are on chalky ground, have lots of snails or give plenty of greens.

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GrannieAnnie

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« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2008, 11:34 »
I agree with Aunt Sally, they are not getting a blanced enough diet if not on pellets at the moment.

Put them back on as see what happens.  My girls only get a handful of corn each in the later afternoon as a treat.

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redjane11

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« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2008, 12:08 »
Right sounds like a trip to feed store is in order agin, we took them off it as they didn't seem to be eating it

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Aunt Sally

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« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2008, 13:14 »
They don't know what's good for them sometimes Jane.  I keep mine in their run until about 10 am and all that is available to them is pellets.  I give them some mositened layers mash in the afternoon which they love.  My girls are in tip top condition and laying like good'uns  :D

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agapanthus

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« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2008, 13:17 »
Giving just corn (maize) will make them fat and lazy.....I make that mistake too. They will soon learn to eat the pellets after a while :)

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alibean

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egg problems
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2008, 19:43 »
My Nan (had 200+ chickens 'during the war') says if your get an egg eater you just need to wring it's neck - HOWEVER - have read that if you inject an empty egg shell (hole in each end, blown through) with mustard, then it will soon dissuade the egg eater.  I am presuming this means a good old English hot yellow type mustard and not a Milder Dijon type :lol:

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muntjac

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« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2008, 20:07 »
and throw the cod liver oil out as well .oil and chicken dont mix until they are in the pan ....... no oily fish iether just white stuff  :wink:
still alive /............

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dangolding

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« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2008, 20:11 »
We tend to let our chickens just roam free in the garden (it's quite big) and only feed them pellet fod once a week as a supplement.

One of our hens was laying soft eggs last week and we just increased the pellet food - problem solved.

As for egg eating, this has only happened to us once and we were told to give the hens more greens - since they now wander around the garden, they've got enough grass, weeds, leaves etc

However, for us at least, it worked

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Aunt Sally

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« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2008, 23:45 »
Quote from: "muntjac"
and throw the cod liver oil out as well .oil and chicken dont mix until they are in the pan ....... no oily fish iether just white stuff  :wink:


A few drops of cod liver oil does no harm.  I'm not saying a lot.  It  provide the vit D to aid calcium absorption.

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Oliveview

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egg problems
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2008, 21:51 »
We had a hen laying soft shelled eggs, I tried everything, grit (they spat it out, even after I ground it finer in my food processor thingy- it still has the marks!) then a white powder (looked like drugs!)  I even collecting snails and crushed them as the hens wouldn´t eat the snails if the shells were too big.  :lol:  I even resorted to crushing my calcuim with vit tablets and adding that to the food.  Once I worked out which hen we thought was the culprit it was too late and she died.  At least the soft egg stopped.
Still a shame to lose a hen though.  Good luck with the pellets.
Pamela

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mumsy

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egg problems
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2008, 20:23 »
My problem with soft shelled eggs is solved too, ain't it Babe  :!:  :!:  :D  :D  :D

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Aunt Sally

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egg problems
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2008, 22:16 »
Tell us about it Mummsy  :!:



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