[soozandi]

when i went to the vet with my ex-battery hen yesterday she told me something interesting which i thought i would share with you.  because battery hens get no exercise  :roll: , they get a form of osteoparosis which means that they are prone to breaking bones easily and it is more difficult for them to mend.

lets get them all doing acrobatic training when we get them home!

[GrannieAnnie]

I've not heard that one myself, but don't see why not, like you say, while in their cages they don't get any exercise, that's why a lot of them can't walk very well when they are rescued,  But once they get out in the fresh air, most of them pick up.  We've never had one who couldn't walk perfectly well after a couple of weeks, and when they see me coming towards the run with food, well, they fly down the run to get as near as possible to me, even the one that escapes and has the run of the garden!!!

[WG.]

H.R.T. for chooks eh!   I learn summat new every day.

[Aunt Sally]

Plenty of oyster shell and a vitamin D supliment, possibly a little cod liver oil once a week, should help to improve the quality of their bones.

When hens form egg shells they extract calcium from their bones to do it with rather than take it from their diet, the calcium in their diet replaces that used from their bones for egg shells, crazy birds  :roll:

[alan42]

why are you all feeding oyster shell at this time of year? if your giving layers pellets there is nothing else your bird requires so why oyster shell ?
alan

[Aunt Sally]

Because ex-battery hens often suffer with osteoporosis