[Lardman]

Just a quicky...

As I've elected not to eat the eggs while the girls are on the antibiotics, is there any reasons I shouldn't scramble the eggs up and feed them back to the girls   :?:

Seems such a shame to waste them.

[richyrich7]

I wouldn't just in case they get the taste for them.

[Foxy]

A little scrambled or boiled egg is OK when birds are moulting as they contain a good source of protein, perhaps as a small treat, but not as a general rule due to the  high protein content. Shells are good though baked and then crushed as a good source of calcium.

[Lardman]

Cheers both.

I'll bin the eggs then - I dont want to encourage bad habits they have enough as it is.  

I've been microwaving the shells then crushing them, rather than baking - I assume this is ok?

[Aunt Sally]

I give my chooks scrambled egg mixed with their layers mash.  

It has never caused them to egg eat.

[richyrich7]

If Foxy and Aunty says it's ok then go with them Lardman, I just think it's a risk and a bit like cannibalism.

[Aunt Sally]

I don't think they can equate cooked egg with raw egg in a shell. That's just a guess of course, they've never told me that !

[Kate and her Ducks]

I'd also heard that a bit was good for them but to always give it to them cooked so they don't recognise it as an egg and start egg eating. That being said I gave them some hard boiled when I had a glut and some of them were laid in the mud (normally I eat them anyway but was overrun with eggs at the time). They weren't interested at all and didn't touch it so I have never bothered since.

The exception is I give a bit of hard boiled yolk to ducklings especially if they need a bit of help and they eat it :roll:

Go figure.

[Bodger]

I might be wrong, but wouldn't you be feeding the antibiotics you are waiting to wear off back to them ? :shock:

[Lardman]

I've filed it in my not so bright idea pile ...

They're still on the antibiotics Bodger, Well they're supposed to be, its in their water which they are hardly touching in this weather. The 3 birds have had roughly ½ ltr since Sunday which all thing being equal is around 1ml between the 3 of them :?

[Blarney]

I'm no expert but it sounds so wrong to me.  Isn't this how CJD started??!! The birds that are in battery cages are fed full of all sorts of chemicals and 99% of the population eat their eggs!  I wouldn't eat them either but I certainly would never feed them back.  Yuk!!!

[Bodger]

I've filed it in my not so bright idea pile ...

They're still on the antibiotics Bodger, Well they're supposed to be, its in their water which they are hardly touching in this weather. The 3 birds have had roughly ½ ltr since Sunday which all thing being equal is around 1ml between the 3 of them :?

If the antibiotic is auromycin, thats the stuff that dyes the water green, I find that if I put too much in then the birds refuse to drink it. I'd suggest you make a weaker solution to see if you get a better take up and incidentally, if you are using auromycin, the instructions say that you should give fresh everyday. Not that I'm being sceptical of course but this could simply be down to the company trying to sell more product.