[Jo-n-Neil]

Took delivery of ten chickens last Wed, Warrens they are. Im feeding them on layers pellets and a corn mix, do i have to give oyster shell mix? some people ive spoken to say they never use it and all is fine, some say you must give it and now im confused. Do i dont i. They have lots of grass to scratch around in as well.

Also how often should i clean the hen house out? ive done it this morning nesting boxes, poop tray everything, but is it best to poop pick daily? I noticed a lot of little black flies in the straw in one box so killed them all and have left it to air. Im using dust free straw in the nesting boxes and dust free sawdust on the henhouse floor.

Sorry for all the dim questions.

Jo xx  :oops:

[Roughlee Handled]

Took delivery of ten chickens last Wed, Warrens they are. Im feeding them on layers pellets and a corn mix, do i have to give oyster shell mix? some people ive spoken to say they never use it and all is fine, some say you must give it and now im confused. Do i dont i. They have lots of grass to scratch around in as well.

Also how often should i clean the hen house out? ive done it this morning nesting boxes, poop tray everything, but is it best to poop pick daily? I noticed a lot of little black flies in the straw in one box so killed them all and have left it to air. Im using dust free straw in the nesting boxes and dust free sawdust on the henhouse floor.

Sorry for all the dim questions.

Jo xx  :oops:

There not dim questions I have lots of questions only month ago. Still newbie

  Oyster shell mix helps when your chickens have thin shells or lack of calcium in there diet.  Try the following thread.
http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=21479

I have had black flys when I mucked out yesterday.  I just put it down to the hot weather and I normally muck out once a week.  May be the others will telll us if it is something to worry about but I don't think it is.

[Jo-n-Neil]

Cheers . I think im like a worried mother about my girls  

[Roughlee Handled]

I am paranoid about mine.

It will soon where off apparently.

[Tamrin]

  I am a newby to this forum and to keeping my POL (all 4 of them) getting great pleasure from watching them and their little unusual habits.

I have 2 Rhode Island Reds & 2 Speckeldy's -I have had the odd soft shell (but generally on the whole the eggs are good) (though some are very small) lol.

Should I, from time to time,  give them more grit due to the soft shell on the odd egg :?:

Any help would be graciously received.

Thanks - Tamrin.

[Roughlee Handled]

From what I understand grit is used by the chickens in the gizzard to grind down food and to aid in digestion.  I have one Speckeldy and the eggs are smaller than the other birds but I like the dark brown colour.  Soft shells can be caused by lack of calcium.  Have read of this thread.  http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=21479

[lotstodo]

We give ours poultry grit and oyster and cockle shell, mixed together. We found some parrot feeders in the local pet supplies store these are perfect as they can be easily topped up and attached to the side of run. So always available, also great cause the little madams can't scratch the contents out all over the run. :roll:  

Grit is needed to enable the chocks to digest their food and the shell for calcium. We haven't had any problems with soft shells - some very tough ones but not soft! Our girls are about 10 months old now. Hope this helps.

[poultrygeist]

Hi jo-n-neil.

Pleased you've taken the plunge.  

They'll get on better just on layers pellets alone with a handful or so of mixed corn as a treat in the evening. If you feed too much of it, they'll get fat and lazy and won't lay eggs !  :?

As said, they need the grit to grind down the grass and other non-pelleted food and the shell gives them the calcium for the eggs.

We poo-pick daily, changing any soiled wood shavings and straw, and have a major clean our whenever necessary. This hot weather is a pain but the chooks are keeping occupied chasing the flies so it's swings and roundabouts.  

Good luck with them and post some photos !  

Rob  

[stamford]

We give ours poultry grit and oyster and cockle shell, mixed together. We found some parrot feeders in the local pet supplies store these are perfect as they can be easily topped up and attached to the side of run. So always available, also great cause the little madams can't scratch the contents out all over the run. :roll:  

Grit is needed to enable the chocks to digest their food and the shell for calcium. We haven't had any problems with soft shells - some very tough ones but not soft! Our girls are about 10 months old now. Hope this helps.

Do you mean something like this ?

[Roughlee Handled]

My girls are tough, there from Lancashire and they have one of these

 with there oyster shell in the hollow. Its very hard wherein but they do tend to spill allot.

[stamford]

ha ha ha - As long as it does the job, mine will be from Surrey so they'll be POSH old birds  

[chickchick]

hi all i just use an old terracotta plant saucer to put the grit in (its the bigger size one)!!

[Vember]

Hey Chickchick

Your hens are posher than mine  :cry:  Mine only have a plastic plant saucer thingy  

I put holes in the bottom to allow rain through otherwise it gets flooded


How are your girls Chickchick

[chickchick]

hi vember
they are fine thanks, we cleaned them out yesterday, the whole schbang (spelt wrong!! :oops: ) didnt really need doing as they mainly poop outside! (that outside is picked up daily!) they are all eating out of our hands now and are good girls they like to be tucked in for bed at about 915pm! its so funny to watch them eat grass, they look like they have got long green moustaches!
hows the weather? its 30 here so ive come indoors, been ice skating today it was bliss lovely and cold, my 2 girls loved it too!

[compostqueen]

Good news on the chooks.  I pick poo every day. Mine have some Aubiose in the bottom of the Eglu which makes picking it out easy each day, esp with all these flies around. Just off to get fresh bark chippings too  

If I find an Ostrea stockist I'll get a bag and we can split it as apparently it lasts ages. Still looking yet    Meanwhile I give them mixed poultry grit. Some natural yogurt is good too, and they love it with weather and even more with some sliced cucumber in it