Calcium breakfast. Help emergency see page 2

[LoneCowboy]

Well, the girls got a treat today. I've had 2 awful eggs from them. Like rubber so I'm thinking that somebody is eating too many treats and too little calcium. So today, I brought in their oyster shell feeder, and mixed all the tiny dust in the bottom in with a nice warm bowl of oatmeal. Hopefully this will help the problems and I didn't give them too much. I haven't had a bad egg in quite awhile, so now to get 1 last night and one this morning is not a happy thing. Hope this works

 

[digitS']

I learned some things from this University of Florida Egg Quality website, LoneCowboy.

About those "thin, porous or shell-less eggs:

1. Inheritance influences porosity and ability to produce strong shells
2. Lack of sufficient calcium, phosphorus, manganese or vitamin D3
3. Vitamin D2 mistakenly substituted for D3
4. Excess phosphorus consumption, especially by older hens
5. Ingestion of sulfanilamide (sulfa drugs)
6. Disease: Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, avian influenza, Egg Drop Syndrome 76
7. Hens exposed to temperature over 85-90°F
8. Age of hens: incidence higher with older hens
9. Premature laying of the egg"

Just guessing, but I believe that your idea to increase the calcium is the right course. Even if the hens are getting lots of phosphorus, at least in humans, it seems like it is the balance that’s most important – more phosphorus, more calcium.

However, vitamin D deficiency will limit calcium absorption from food. And, old hens, just like old people, apparently have a reduced ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight on their skin. Obesity may also result in vitamin D deficiency. Do old hens get osteoporosis

?!?

It is difficult to get enuf vitamin D3 from food – you start out with simple vitamin D, like from eating fish, then the skin and sunlight converts it to D3. It’s possible to get too much vitamin D but one thing’s for sure – a hen is pumping out a lot of both calcium in egg shells and vitamin D in egg yolks.

Steve

 

[LoneCowboy]

Thanks for the info. We had it under control for awhile, I think it's just gone wacko lately. These are all new pullets only laying for maybe 2 months. I've been giving them Avia Charge 2000 in their water but it's only been a weak mixture. Maybe I should boost that up too. That should give them the rest of the stuff they need.

I'm guessing it was laid too soon, one late last night. Which isn't normal for my girls, and then again early this morning. I really think it's the same one, so it would be laying too soon I'd think.

 

[digitS']

Everything's pretty goofy when they have only been laying a few weeks. Yep!

Tell her to sloooooow doooowwn . . .

Steve

 

[CovenantCreek]

digitS' :

Do old hens get osteoporosis

?!?

Yes, but they don't have to be that old. Hens living in egg farms can develop osteoporosis before they're even 2 yrs old. Too many eggs laid without sufficient calcium and, as you mentioned, vitamin D and even a relatively young hen will have problems. I suppose if you live in an area that gets too cold for the hens to stay out all day or you simply can't give them the freedom to be out in the sun, grinding up some D3 tablets and adding it to their feed might help.​

 

[digitS']

Laying fatigue would be, I guess, essentially the same as osteoporosis. Shucks . . .

Vitamin D3 supplements are usually 400 IU!!!

I suppose that if an egg yolk has 20 IU of vitamin D then ONE supplement would be enuf for 20 laying hens . . . just supposing here . . . Having too much might be a dangerous thing and you can see how human supplements would pack a heckuva Vitamin D punch for a critter that only weighs 5 pounds!!

Gosh, I'd think it would be much better to give 'em fish - like what might already be in their feed. An entire can of tuna would only have one-half what's in a tablet of Vitamin D. Even tho the gov'ment lists margarine, my box in the fridge doesn't say anything about being fortified. Milk wouldn't be a good idea and the yogurt in there doesn't have any Vitamin D, either.

Steve

 

[silkiechicken]

And actually... if they are getting sunlight, vitD can be synthesized by the body with the right precursors if I remember right... could be wrong. But, just the fact your birds aren't caged up in a building will let them have more vitD naturally which will aid that calcium pick up.

 

[LoneCowboy]

What veggies are high in vit D?

I know I was tested resently, and I'm so low on Vit D myself, that I was prescribed 10 drams which is like 125 reg tab.

I went to the local feed store today, and got more oyster shell. I bought my first bag at the local farm store. It cost like $6 for 5 lbs. The feed store, less than $8 for like 25 lbs. I was very happy.

Oh I also upped the amount of Avia Charge 2000 I was putting in their water. Still not to a full dose, but almost. Every time I mix up the chickens water with that stuff, I think of the song from the 70's or 80's "Black Water". It's just so gross looking.

 

[silkiechicken]

Not sure what veggies have the precursors for vit D, but sounds like 15-30 min in some winter sun would do you well to up that vit D in your system. Make that skin do it's work. I hear that people with dark skin living in cool winter areas often end up with vitD deficiencies because the pigment in their skin prevents enough vit D to be made with what little you want exposed when it's freezing out.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Oh, I'm pasty white, so that isn't the problem. I need to see the sun. It's yucky here.