[Maccbean]

Just to let you know, they always have crushed oystershell in their run and I tried long term use of the crushed egg shell too, which didn't help. 

As it happens I have had some recent problems with some poor shell quality and soft eggs which I treat with a week of electrolyte drink followed by a week of multivits which improved things then as I suspected some infection too an antibiotic and egg production has doubled and egg shell quality is now excellent.

Now see, I've never heard of that either!  I'd be keen to find out what type, how much and for how long you did it for.  Although what we've had for the past week have all been proper eggs, production is still way down what it was a year ago.

Cheers

[hillfooter]

I hasten to add babaloo's hens should not be given treatment until it apperas it isn't going to settle down naturally as they get used to laying.

The stock answer to soft eggs and poor shell quality is calcium deficiency but generally if you 've been providing oyster shell and your chx aren't old it's not the answer and you need to consider oviary damage from a past or current infection.  With older hens Infectious Bronchitis is a real possibility which is known to cause poor egg shells.  This condition is chronic but you can be helped a little by ensuring good hydration and a broad spectrum antibiotic is useful in case there's a secondary infection.  In my case I used Baytril which also stimulates their appetite.  

The Electrolyte can be easily made to a formula I got from Gail Damerow the USA chicken health guru.  See below.  I used it for 7 days and followed it up with 7 days of multivits in their water and then 7 days of Baytril which you'll need a perscription for.  I'm not claiming this will cure a chronic condition but following the Baytril the eggshell quality of my chx had improved dramatically.  I used the Baytril mainly because they seemed to have a respiratory condition with gaping (not due to worms) though it wasn't typical in that there was no cold like symptoms just laboured wheezy breathing.  This rapidly cleared up within 4 or 5 days of treatment with the A/Bs.  It's always difficult to be sure what seems to be working or has helped because you can never be sure they wouldn't have improved without the treatment.

If your chx are ex batts and over two years old you may never cure this.  My theory on them is that Infectious Bronchitis is a disease they are vaccinated against when young.  If a live vaccine is used which is often the case as it is cheaper and gives quicker immunity they are exposed to a mild form of the disease which longer term as they get older causes the oviary damage which leads to poor egg shells.  I hasten to add that this is just my theory but I strongly suspect that exbatts immune systems are supressed by all the medication they get and once that ceases they become vulnerable as well as potential carriers of several infections in free range conditions.  The commercial producer is only interested in their health whilst in their first season of lay so longer term effects aren't considered for shorter term expediency.  This is why I'm dubious about mixing pure breeds and exbatts.  Even vaccinated hybrids might show this effect too.

The electrolyte is as follows,

Dissolve in 3 litres of water

5 ml of Salt substitute, (1 teaspoon of potassium chlorite)
7.5 ml (1 and a half teaspoons) of Bicarbarbonate of soda (baking soda)
15 ml (3 teaspoons) salt

Use for 7 days max.  This is quite salty so don't extend it's use.  It is also useful in hot weather or after an illness which is causing diarrhoea to avoid dehydration.

The MultiVits I use are much cheaper than speciality ones like Lifeguard see photo.  These are available from farm supply shops and on the web and last a long time for a small number of hens.

What I would say is don't use a cocktail of propriety cures at the same time and keep the nutrition basic and simple with no excessive treats. The above in combination with oyster shell or limestone flour provides a very similar range of minerals to several propriety medicines for egg shell strength and at a fraction of the cost.

Best of luck if you try this.  
HF

[hillfooter]

as an alternative to pro-biotic yoghurt's you can use avipro plus which can either be sprinkled on their feed or mixed with water, it is for birds and is a lactose free pro-biotic  

I came across this daily press report (Daily Mail On Line Saturday, Jun 26 2010) the other day on probiotics.  It seems the EU has been investigating the marketing claims made by probiotic food manufacturers and last year made a pronouncement which will be used to take legal action against manufacturers who make false or misleading health claims about their products in future.  Here's a clip.

",............In all about two-thirds of 523 health claims could not be substantiated with meaningful evidence, the European Food Standards Authority said.
On probiotics an Efsa spokeswoman said: 'They have been assessed but the outcome was negative or our scientists said they didn't have sufficient evidence to evaluate them.'
The UK's best-selling probiotics Actimel and Yakult, were not included in the study because the two firms withdrew their claims before they could be assessed.
They have now resubmitted their claims but results will now not be available until next year.
Japanese firm Yakult said that Efsa's results 'did not relate to Yakult' and said that evidence for its product's health benefits was based on 'over 70 years of research'.

Efsa looked into more than 200 types of food or supplement including vitamins, minerals, fibre, fats, carbohydrates, probiotic bacteria and botanical substances.
The findings will be used in future to prosecute and fine companies that dress up their products with bogus health claims. "

I thought it particularly cynical and telling that the two leading companies Yakult and Actimel both withdrew their claims prior to the assessment and then immediately afterwards resubmitted them which allowed them to claim the EU scientists report didn't apply to their products!!  You'd have thought that after 70 years of research as claimed by Yakult that they'd be able to make a decent submission backed by evidence.  You have to wonder about the quality of those 70 years of research.  You may draw the conclusion that the withdrawal of their claims was a marketing ploy to avoid their claims being scruitinised.

Of course no doubt there's lots of testamonials which claim wonder cures after slurping the stuff but the power of the placebo effect is well recognised these days as is self delusion.

HF

[wolverine]

I have a friend who swears blind that since having a yakult ( or however it's spelt) a day his health has improved and his stomach problems have disapeared.
Personally I think any yogurt replacing a mars and a bag of crisps will do you good but to him its the 

"Magical yakult"