Recent content by Capt. Toddy

  1. Capt. Toddy

    Running out of options

    UPDATE: I've just bought some natural yoghurt have been giving them a cup mixed in with a cup of oats for the last couple of days. They eat every last bit of it and gobble it down in no time at all. I've also bought some more worming liquid and will give them a dose in the morning. I've also...
  2. Capt. Toddy

    Running out of options

    Spiritdance, my hens are 2 to 4 years old. They have access to oyster shell as they need it. They free range in the yard 3-5 times a week so get plenty of calcium. There's no problem with the eggs shells anyway. ddawn, yes the two I bought could be older than advertised, and the eggs I am...
  3. Capt. Toddy

    Running out of options

    Hi all My chickens have been very much off the lay of late; out of 4 hens I'm getting about 4 eggs per week. This has been going on for a while now and I'm after some suggestions as to what to do next. Some history and back ground info first though: I have three pure Australorps and 1...
  4. Capt. Toddy

    how to "serve" grit & oyster shell

    Despite having ready access to shells, my birds have in the past, given me eggs that are very thin-shelled. My solution was to grind up some shell into a powder and mix it with the warm porridge I feed them every morning. It keeps them laying through winter (I'm in Aus.) and the shells thickened...
  5. Capt. Toddy

    Weird eggs

    I've been giving the flock extra calcium anyway, but I'll up it a bit more to see if it helps. Cheers Rod
  6. Capt. Toddy

    Weird eggs

    Hi all I have noticed a regular problem for about the last 4 weeks with one of my hens. She consistently lays an egg that's not an egg; she produces a little crinkled up soft ball that looks like it should have been the shell. More often than not there is no sign of any yolk or white in the...
  7. Capt. Toddy

    Supplementing with lime?

    Update: I've been feeding them a teaspoon of garden lime with breakfast and I've not noticed anything different with the birds. Time will tell I guess...
  8. Capt. Toddy

    Supplementing with lime?

    I'm in Australia, and it's the middle of winter here at the moment, hence the reason why things are cool. The hens are not eating shell or oyster shells, that's why I'm looking for an alternative. An internet search reveals that some chicken feeds use up to 7% hydrated lime, which is quite a...
  9. Capt. Toddy

    Supplementing with lime?

    My chickens get a ready supply of shell grit in the pen but as far as I can tell they eat very little of it. As a consequence their egg shells were very thin and broken eggs were a regular occurrence. To boost their calcium intake I began powdering shell grit with a sledgehammer and mixing it in...
  10. Capt. Toddy

    Aussie Intro

    Hi all I've been using the forum as a resource for a little while now but thought I'd join up rather than lurking in the background. My main reason for using the forum was because my chickens stopped providing me with eggs and I couldn't figure out why. The long and the short of it was that...
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