[HM]

Hello to all from a new member of this excellent site.

We've had 6 hens (2 RIR, 2 Light Sussex and 3 hybrids) for about 18 months, now, and one of them - a RIR, I think - has taken to laying eggs at night from her perch. Of course, they end up broken on the "poop deck".

Has anyone else experienced this, and can you advise on how to address this?

Otherwise, they are all happy, healthy and pesky!

Thanks for any help.

Hilary

[Vember]

Hi HM  

Welcome to the forum

How often is this happening?

I get an odd one where this happens, I've always put it down to a very early in the morning layer that's either been taken by suprise or too lazy to find the nest box  

Have you been able to check the shell? Has it been like a normal shell or has it been soft?




Sarah

[poultrygeist]

Likewise. We get the odd one that's kicked out of the nest box by morning, so late evening/early morning.

Could you put some straw/shredded paper under the perches to try and cushion the fall ?

Rob

[HM]

Thanks, guys.

It used to happen now and then, but recently has increased to around 5 times a week. The shells are not soft; they seem a bit brittle - but I guess they're supposed to be..!

I just wondered if anyone had seen a sudden-ish increase, like me, and what it might be down to. I tink you're probably right - we have a Rhodie that has slipped into lazy ways!

We've just spent ages cleaning their hen house, and moving them to some lovely new green grass, so they have nothing to complain about.

I'll keep you posted, meantime I'll try and cushion the eggs on thier way down...!

HM

[Lemon]

talkiing of soft eggs....are they just that?  I mean an egg with only the papery membrane?

We've had a thin shelled egg one morning, the shell was so thin it was fragile.  This didn't make it in the box either and ended up being broken and fell through the flooring into the poop-drawer.

Oh, and I've seen a funny white sac thing too - and the yolk and white in the poop-drawer.  Is that a softie egg?

How do you make them eat their mixed grit?  I have a container of it in the run but they don't seem to fancy that much.

[poultrygeist]

Hi Lemon.

Yes. They're just degrees of the same thing. A lack of calcium can be the cause.

Is it just grit, or grit with oyster shell ?

Rob

[Lemon]

Hi Poultrygeist,

It's mixed grit so it has the small stones and crushed seashells.  I have a small holder clipped to the run so they can help themselves.  
Also, at the feedstore I was recommended to buy the A&P Supercorn which has grit and shells in it.  The girlees love the wheat and grains but leave out the chopped sweetcorn, peas and the shells.
I sometimes add mixed grit to the pellets along with garlic powder - again, they pick at the pellets and leave the shells and stones.

It's only a few times we've had the softies - not a regular thing, one day we found yolk but no shell in the poop-drawer.  But I suppose it's a fair few times considering we've only had them 3wks?

Have you tried the thing about baking eggshells and feeding that to them?  How long do you cook eggshells for?

[poultrygeist]

Is the grit and shell mixed in with grain then ?

I've not heard of that. If you remove all but the shell and grit, they should help themselves. Being greedy little wotsits, they'll go for the tastiest morsels at the expense of what's good for them.  :roll:

We just feed pellets, grit/shell and then in the late afternoon or early evening, throw some corn in or some other treat. That way, they've had a good fill of pellets which contain all the nutrients and can dip into the grit as required.

We did try the baked shells. You bake them until they start to go brown, then crush them into small flakes. They took them but it was too much faff so we relented and bought the oyster grit.

Rob

[Lemon]

yeah,  I got a small bag of mixed grit - stones and shells.

A&P Supercorn is the grains, kibbled corn and peas with added grit and shells.  (They don't even like the corn and peas! They eat the wheaty bits and leave the rest!!!)

I try make them eat grit/shells by adding it to pellets in the feeder.  Maybe I will mix it in their morning crumble?  Hubby feeds them porridge in the morning!!!

[poultrygeist]

Sounds like they have a better life than I do  

I think the only way you'll get them to eat a particular thing is to remove all the other stuff they prefer. If it's all they have, they'll go for it. Once they get used to it, hopefully they'll stick with it and you can re-introduce the other bits.

Beyond that, I can't really think of any other way.

Rob

[muntjac]

forget the " super grain " its just a con ,  just feed them normal feedstuffs with oestra and horticultural grit . oestra £7  sack ... horti grit £4 a sack......

[Lemon]

Thanks Muntjac,

got bit swizzed at the feedstore!   Ended up buying ...'whatever!' to shut the lady up......you haven't had the lecture on Allen & Page foodstuffs!!!!


..by the way...how long would a 20k sack of mixed corn last?  I have two girls.  Would you recommend buying 20k sack of layers pellets or keep with the 5k sacks?  I was worried the girls wouldn't eat much so got the 5k sack as the use-by is 03Dec08.  The rate the girls get through feed - I think it will last 4-6wks.

[Mr Chookles]

Talkin of grit with sea shells,is it just me or do the pieces of sea shell in the mix seem a little on the large size for the chooks to swallow  :?: