I ahve 4 pullets who have recently started laying - yesterday we had 3 eggs. All good. This morning I found 1 egg outside with a shell so soft the egg had fallen though it and a second egg with no shell at all was laid in the favourite nesting box.
I'm feeding the chooks pellets and greens. They have a bowl of oyster shell grit and lots of fresh water. As you can see from the pic yesterday's eggs were all fine so I'm a bit confused about why this might have happened. The only difference in their diet yesterday was a lot of cauliflower leaves.
Hope someone has some advice out there!
Cheers
Sarah
2 eggs with shells today, 1 without. I've given the girls some yoghurt and they are loving it - thanks for the tip!
One novice leads another.
I'll have to check the package but I bought laying mash specifically because I assumed it would have the necessary constituents. We also cook and grind up the old shells and add it bnack into the mash so there should be enough there now.
In any case, my soft shells have been fixed so I'm guessing we have more of less got it right again.
I'll have to check the package but I bought laying mash specifically because I assumed it would have the necessary constituents. We also cook and grind up the old shells and add it bnack into the mash so there should be enough there now.
In any case, my soft shells have been fixed so I'm guessing we have more of less got it right again.
2 eggs with shells today, 1 without. I've given the girls some yoghurt and they are loving it - thanks for the tip!
Mel said:
My understanding of laying mash/pullets is that its high in protien not grit?? So you will still need to add grit/shell/calcium foods to their diet. Bake some egg shells and grind them up and mix them in with foods. (In the discussion board yesterday I mentioned I mix it with scrambled eggs, yoghurt, wheatbix, left over dinner scraps.) Mine dont eat grit left out on its own.
Also remember they are new to laying, so still learning, production errors will happen once in a while. ;)
Earl - excuse the novice question, but does mash have grit in it?
Earl Mardle said:
We had a couple of days of soft eggs from one chook so I closed them up and reduced their silverbeet but kept them on sprouted grains and laying mash and they appear to have come right.
One of them also used the disruption to change her laying place from the self made nest in the coop to a laying box.
I've started mixing the sprouts with the mash so their second favourite food is coated in grit and also restricting their outside time in case they are preferring bugs that don't have enough calcium.
Thanks Mel, They do have pellets and grit in addition to greens. I'll add some grit to their pellets - I didn't realise they might avoid it if it's separate. Thanks!
Mel said:
My understanding of laying mash/pullets is that its high in protien not grit?? So you will still need to add grit/shell/calcium foods to their diet. Bake some egg shells and grind them up and mix them in with foods. (In the discussion board yesterday I mentioned I mix it with scrambled eggs, yoghurt, wheatbix, left over dinner scraps.) Mine dont eat grit left out on its own.
Also remember they are new to laying, so still learning, production errors will happen once in a while. ;)
My understanding of laying mash/pullets is that its high in protien not grit?? So you will still need to add grit/shell/calcium foods to their diet. Bake some egg shells and grind them up and mix them in with foods. (In the discussion board yesterday I mentioned I mix it with scrambled eggs, yoghurt, wheatbix, left over dinner scraps.) Mine dont eat grit left out on its own.
Also remember they are new to laying, so still learning, production errors will happen once in a while. ;)
Hey Earl, thanks for the tip. I think I'll go and get them some wheat - perhaps I've been giving them to many greens.
Earl Mardle said:
We had a couple of days of soft eggs from one chook so I closed them up and reduced their silverbeet but kept them on sprouted grains and laying mash and they appear to have come right.
One of them also used the disruption to change her laying place from the self made nest in the coop to a laying box.
I've started mixing the sprouts with the mash so their second favourite food is coated in grit and also restricting their outside time in case they are preferring bugs that don't have enough calcium.
We had a couple of days of soft eggs from one chook so I closed them up and reduced their silverbeet but kept them on sprouted grains and laying mash and they appear to have come right.
One of them also used the disruption to change her laying place from the self made nest in the coop to a laying box.
I've started mixing the sprouts with the mash so their second favourite food is coated in grit and also restricting their outside time in case they are preferring bugs that don't have enough calcium.
Replies
Sarah Gallagher said:
One novice leads another.
I'll have to check the package but I bought laying mash specifically because I assumed it would have the necessary constituents. We also cook and grind up the old shells and add it bnack into the mash so there should be enough there now.
In any case, my soft shells have been fixed so I'm guessing we have more of less got it right again.
I'll have to check the package but I bought laying mash specifically because I assumed it would have the necessary constituents. We also cook and grind up the old shells and add it bnack into the mash so there should be enough there now.
In any case, my soft shells have been fixed so I'm guessing we have more of less got it right again.
Mel said:
Earl Mardle said:
Mel said:
Also remember they are new to laying, so still learning, production errors will happen once in a while. ;)
Earl Mardle said:
One of them also used the disruption to change her laying place from the self made nest in the coop to a laying box.
I've started mixing the sprouts with the mash so their second favourite food is coated in grit and also restricting their outside time in case they are preferring bugs that don't have enough calcium.
I'll keep in touch