Anything I need to do since they've started laying?

seespotbitejane

Chirping
10 Years
Aug 13, 2009
34
17
99
Walla Walla, WA
So I'm a newbie. I have one hen who's a year old, but the others are all round about six months. The past couple weeks combs have been getting bright red and the weather has been unseasonably warm so this week I switched them to layer crumbles. I just had a feeling. Next morning I had two eggs! One of them I'm sure is my little EE hen, I don't know who laid the other but I kind of suspect my Japanese bantam. Today I had two more, one another green one from Captain Falcon (the EE) and another dark one that could have been the older hen, or pretty much anybody (they're all bantams and about the same age so until they get some patterns down or I catch them in the act I just won't know which is who's).

But the two I got today were a little streaky with a substance that looked more like blood than poop. I realize it's probably perfectly normal, but I'm still a little worried. They're on the layer crumbles, and they free range in the yard for several hours a day. I occasionally add gravel to their coop but they've got plenty of gravel outside. They also get occasional kitchen scraps. For instance they're probably getting some carrots and potatoes and an old banana today. Is there anything else I need to give them? Do they need extra calcium or are the layer crumbles enough?
 
Congrats on the eggs!
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I've had a bit of blood on eggs from a new layer several times-shouldn't be anything to worry about.
I keep a tray of oyster shell in the coop for them along with their layer pellets.
 
Ok, thanks. I'll pick some oyster shells up tomorrow at the feed store. I want to get some other stuff anyway (and an incubator! but I really really shouldn't yet. If I can hold off for a month...).
 
No-don't hold off-get that incubator!
Hi, my name is easttxchick and I am an incubator enabler!
 
make sure they have plenty of water along with the grit and oyster shell! And enjoy some home grown eggs!
 
You could crush up the egg shells and bake them a bit and feed them back to them. It works like oyster shell only it is free.
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Correct me if I am wrong experts.
 
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I've always given egg shells for calcium. Make sure you crumble them up small so they never associate them with eggs or you could be teaching them to eat eggs. Egg eaters can be hard to break of that habit.
 
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No no! I don't have a place to put chicks right now! Though it'd be easy to build another cardboard brooder like last time.... No! I will wait.

Also I like the eggshell idea.
 
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No no! I don't have a place to put chicks right now! Though it'd be easy to build another cardboard brooder like last time.... No! I will wait.

Also I like the eggshell idea.

I admire your willpower-my incubator is running as we speak!
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