2015 breeding season

[zazouse]

good plan Birdrain mine eat all kinds of greens and seed for calcium and stuff they need for good absorbsion , if your eggs were fine last year with the way you took care of them do not see why there would be an issue this year.

 

[KsKingBee]

When did they lay last year? some of mine are early this year

Last year they started on May 1st, this year they started on March 22nd. So far I have gathered 53 eggs not counting what they layed tonight.

I'm waiting on mine too and last year my hen started early May so hopefully I'll be getting an egg soon. Also my hen has been looking like she's going to lay an egg soon. The lady I'm getting my Whites from said that her hens just started laying. Hopefully that means my hen will be laying. This year I made sure she has oyster shells and a high protein that way I shouldn't get any deformed chicks and no egg bound. What do you guys do to give to your hens for calcium? I do Oyster Shells.

Guess you missed the calcium conversation we had a couple of days ago. I was concerned so I looked into it a bit and decided that there was no need for excess calcium beyond what is put into the regular crumbles and alfalfa they already get.

 

[Birdrain92]

Last year they started on May 1st, this year they started on March 22nd. So far I have gathered 53 eggs not counting what they layed tonight.



Guess you missed the calcium conversation we had a couple of days ago. I was concerned so I looked into it a bit and decided that there was no need for excess calcium beyond what is put into the regular crumbles and alfalfa they already get.

Alfalfa is what I try to give them before laying season. Right now I have two bins with alfalfa growing in my room and I cut it during the Spring for the adults. The extra Alfalfa I let dry out because I love the smell of fresh cut alfalfa hay also I grind it into powder that way when I get peachicks I can give it to them right of way.

Well I have to give them oyster shells because I'm sure but not confident that the required level of calcium they need is in grass. Also the feed they are on is meat bird feed. 22% protein, 0.9%-1.4% calcium so it's really low so I make sure there is extra calcium. They leave what they don't need in the pan and I just keep putting feed in and shake the pan to put the oyster shells through the feed.

The reason why I'm wondering is because I was looking at the oyster shell bag and it says 36% calcium and a lady walks up behind me and says, " you don't want oyster shells because it doesn't have real calcium in it." My face had the confused look and in my head I was wondering if she read the front of the bag. She said to get some other grain thing that has real calcium and it would work better. Well I gave Colbolt oyster shells and his train looks a lot better than his last year train. Not nearly as many broken feathers, his feathers look full as well as his train. Just got to see if when Sage lays if the eggs are really smooth. Because when the calcium level is right the eggs feel as if they've been sanded but they weren't.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

My birds won't eat alfalfa meal. The only reason I feed it is for vitamin B because all my breeding birds are penned with no grass to eat. But by adding trace minerals along with 5% molasses to make the trace vitamins stick to larger pieces of grain,I don't feed alfalfa during the summer months.

 

[KsKingBee]

Alfalfa is what I try to give them before laying season. Right now I have two bins with alfalfa growing in my room and I cut it during the Spring for the adults. The extra Alfalfa I let dry out because I love the smell of fresh cut alfalfa hay also I grind it into powder that way when I get peachicks I can give it to them right of way.

Well I have to give them oyster shells because I'm sure but not confident that the required level of calcium they need is in grass. Also the feed they are on is meat bird feed. 22% protein, 0.9%-1.4% calcium so it's really low so I make sure there is extra calcium. They leave what they don't need in the pan and I just keep putting feed in and shake the pan to put the oyster shells through the feed.

The reason why I'm wondering is because I was looking at the oyster shell bag and it says 36% calcium and a lady walks up behind me and says, " you don't want oyster shells because it doesn't have real calcium in it." My face had the confused look and in my head I was wondering if she read the front of the bag. She said to get some other grain thing that has real calcium and it would work better. Well I gave Colbolt oyster shells and his train looks a lot better than his last year train. Not nearly as many broken feathers, his feathers look full as well as his train. Just got to see if when Sage lays if the eggs are really smooth. Because when the calcium level is right the eggs feel as if they've been sanded but they weren't.

Read this article from the UPA it says that more than 1% calcium is bad for peas. Alfalfa is around 1 1/2% and most feed is 2% to 3% already. http://unitedpeafowlassociation.org/CaptiveBirdDietsVersesWildBirdDiets.html

 

[Birdrain92]

Read this article from the UPA it says that more than 1% calcium is bad for peas. Alfalfa is around 1 1/2% and most feed is 2% to 3% already. http://unitedpeafowlassociation.org/CaptiveBirdDietsVersesWildBirdDiets.html

Very interesting article! Never would have thought of those results but that's probably because I've yet to get a bird to die from it but I won't tempt it.

 

[Birdrain92]

Read this article from the UPA it says that more than 1% calcium is bad for peas. Alfalfa is around 1 1/2% and most feed is 2% to 3% already. http://unitedpeafowlassociation.org/CaptiveBirdDietsVersesWildBirdDiets.html

Ok I'm honestly not trying to argue what the article says nor you I'm assuming it's a freak accident. Colbolt and Jadea used to be with the chickens before I built the peacock coop. My chicken feed says there is 3.4% - 3.9% and that's what Jadea had as well as Alfalfa but she got egg bound and had an egg with no shell. Is it her body wasn't working right in absorbing the Calcium or what because I'm confused and that's why I started giving oyster shells and started growing lots of alfalfa. Also the feed my peafowl are on has 0.9% - 1.4% Calcium so since it's lower I ain't taking that chance.
Last egg I got from Jadea. That's why I now have Sage and hoping she will start laying when Jadea did. Jadea layed her first egg May 12 so hopefully it will be the same for Sage.

 

[KsKingBee]

Were all her eggs like that last year? Perhaps it is her inability to process calcium.

 

[casportpony]

Were all her eggs like that last year? Perhaps it is her inability to process calcium.

Quite right... could be damage from worms , that could cause this.

-Kathy

 

[Birdrain92]

Were all her eggs like that last year? Perhaps it is her inability to process calcium.

It was only this egg. The few eggs before had shells. That's why I'm kind of wondering. Right as I noticed her having difficulties walking I was putting water in her mouth and gave her some worming because I didn't know what was happening and then she finally passed the egg but died the morning after the day she passed the egg.