Just started laying...Should I add calcium to feed?

[hensintheghetto]

A few of my pullets started laying late last week. We had them on general/grower feed and have about a half bag of that left. I'd been feeding them back their egg shells crushed up and mixed into their food for some calcium, but now I'm out of town but my husband said that one of them laid a soft egg yesterday. Should i have him just go an get a bag of layer feed and switch them to that or is there a way to add calcium into the general feed to get through the rest of the bag?

 

[vnploveschickens]

Hi. Congrats on your first eggs!

You should offer, free choice, oyster shell in a separate dish for the layers to eat. That helps with the shells as well as the overall health of the chickens. You should buy a bag of layer feed. Since you still have grower feed, you can mix the 2 feeds until you use up the grower. It'll help get the pullets get used to the new feed too.

Good luck!

 

[hensintheghetto]

Nevermind...did some reading. I'll have him get some oyster shell to add to their feed. Does that sound like the right thing to do?

 

[hensintheghetto]

So keep the oyster shell separate? Will the right hens know to eat it?

 

[vnploveschickens]

Yep, the chickens will eat it if they need it. All of mine peck at it and they all have really nice shells.

Have fun with your flock!

 

[Beekissed]

First time layers can have some weird lays also, so don't be surprised to get soft shelled ones, very tiny ones, distorted eggs and eggs with no shell at all.

If you start feeding laying mash, you probably won't need to supplement with oyster shell, but it never hurts to offer it. A bag lasts a very long time and the birds really like it.

 

[cmom]

Congratulations on your first eggs!

I agree with the other posts. Their egg laying may be a bit erratic in the beginning.

 

[rughooker]

Quote:
I have a large Cochin hen who has been laying perfect eggs. For the last 2 or 3 weeks some of her eggs have ridges going around them. Are they ok to eat? p.s. And some of the eggs are HUGE!!

 

[Beekissed]

They are okay to eat. Watch this one for getting eggbound with those large eggs!

 

[rughooker]

Quote:

I'm afraid to ask, but what is eggbound and is there anything I can do to prevent it?