worried

[raine]

hi all, i'm a bit worried because we are regularly getting soft shells but can't work out which bird it is. I'm giving them ground up shells but at the moment I can't seem to find the flour that everyone suggests online. Any help please? Also, how often should i worm my birds and what do you reccomend?
Thanks

[Nicos]

I've been lucky enough not to have any soft shells as yet- just a rubbery skin thing once with no yolk.
I used to give mine a teaspoon of ground eggshell with their porridge every day between 6 of them- but as they stopped laying I stopped giving them supplements as they were free ranging anyway.
I've not started again with the shells but the eggs seem fine.
I do however give them whole half oyster shells and they are nibbled away quite quickly.
So- to be honest I've not noticed much of a difference -if any as yet!

Worming? - I thought it was 2-4 times a year????More often if you see worms in their droppings.

Can you keep an eye on them as they lay????- do they all lay at about the same time?- maybe you can get it down to a couple of possibles????

I'd be concerned too- although are they quite young and just getting 'sorted' ????

good luck - it'll be interesting to see how they get on!

[raine]

Hi Nicos- they are 3 ex-batts. They tend to lay while I'm at work but I think it's the smallest one that is responsible! The eggs get smashed because the shell is thin, although i don't seem to have any trouble with them eating it-yet They have access to mixed grit and ,as i say, they now have ground shell (about 10 days) this has improved things a bit but nearly every day there is a smashed egg. I know this is not helped by the fact that they lay while I'm away but I haven't got the answer to that one! Other than that they are bright and alert etc. In fact, they should be laying every other day as they are in their second season but they are laying every day so I'm open to suggestions!

[Snadger]

If they are fed on layers pellets you're not supposed to need extra calcium supplements.
Mine are given oystershell and sand (of which the eat copius amounts, to grind up the small amout of mixed corn they get each day)

[Flummery]

If you want to try abit of limestone flour, you'll get it form horsey suppliers. It's given to ponies I believe.
However, they also say that it helps the calcium being absorbed if you add a teaspoon of cod liver oil to the pellets each day. Not enough to make the eggs fishy but enough that the vit D is increased.

[Suechooks]

hi all, i'm a bit worried because we are regularly getting soft shells but can't work out which bird it is. I'm giving them ground up shells but at the moment I can't seem to find the flour that everyone suggests online. Any help please? Also, how often should i worm my birds and what do you reccomend?
Thanks

Ex-batts seem to do this. Mine have grit, oystershell and a teaspoon of limestone flour every day as well as layers pellets and free ranging. I don't think there's much you can do about it really. My girls do it regularly - 3-4 eggs a week.
You can worm them with Verm-X which is a herbal product and is supposed to be given for 3 days every month. It's quite an expensive way and is a preventative rather than a wormer. The wormer most people use is Flubenvet and its given twice a year for 7 days consecutively. There was a thread on this not long ago. You can get the Flubenvet from agricultural places or the online vet pharmacies do it too - cheaper!
I've used both products and don't seem to have seen any worms so far in quite a few years. Apple cider vinegar in the water helps too.

[frias]

One of my ex-batts is laying a softie every day too. I put limestone flour and ground eggshell in the porridgy mix every day and have bowls of grit and oyster shell in the run. I've also tried giving them sardines and the hen in question eats the softie too. All the others lay eggs with hard shells so I am also at a loss what to do. I worry about the hen as laying a softie is difficult but I think it's just a sign of getting old and that's why the battery farms get rid of the hens.
Worming with Verm -X didin't work when my girls had worms. It's also expensive. Flubenvet works out much cheaper as the dose is very small and one tub will probably last a lifetime. (until it goes out of date anyway)