Calcium question

[Bassbum2]

How long does it take for calcium to start helping with thin shelled eggs? I have one chicken out of ten that started laying, today she laid her 4th egg and the shell was thin and had a hole in it. I put oyster shell in the coop yesterday and tried to give her some by hand and she doesn't seem interested in it. I tried giving her some layer pellets and she only picked at them a little bit. I cave calcium supplements that I have had around, would it be okay to give her some of that ground up on some leafs of lettuce?

 

[snoopysflock]

new layers tend to lay soft shell eggs and it can take a week for the oyster shell to work. also they can lay a soft shell from stress and lack of protein.

 

[DaveOmak]

So, you are not feeding layer feed ??? That should be the only feed + oyster shells + grit and egg shells..... we roast the egg shells at 275 for 20-30 minutes and store in a container...

If you are free-ranging your flock.... that is a totally different story....

 

[Bassbum2]

So, you are not feeding layer feed ??? That should be the only feed + oyster shells + grit and egg shells..... we roast the egg shells at 275 for 20-30 minutes and store in a container...

If you are free-ranging your flock.... that is a totally different story....

she is only going on 17 weeks old and just laid her first egg on August 7th. I have younger chickens in the coop and was advised to keep them on grower/finisher until the youngest was at least 18 weeks old. I put oyster shells in yesterday, I don't see any evidence of them being touched yet. I haven't been free ranging them as I am afraid they will fly over the fence into my neighbors yards or out into the street and be hard to catch.

 

[snoopysflock]

i free range mine and they will always go back to coop at night

 

[Renee572]

she is only going on 17 weeks old and just laid her first egg on August 7th. I have younger chickens in the coop and was advised to keep them on grower/finisher until the youngest was at least 18 weeks old. I put oyster shells in yesterday, I don't see any evidence of them being touched yet. I haven't been free ranging them as I am afraid they will fly over the fence into my neighbors yards or out into the street and be hard to catch. 

I was out of feed when my pullets were 17 weeks and when I went to pick some up I asked the lady at the feed store whether I should keep with the grower or start on layer feed since none of mine had laid yet. She said I should switch to layer crumbles and then once they started laying switch to layer pellets. I started the layer crumbles at 17 weeks and the following week my BA laid her first egg. The shell is hard and all the other pullets that are not laying yet seem fine and eat the feed just like her.

 

[Bassbum2]

I was out of feed when my pullets were 17 weeks and when I went to pick some up I asked the lady at the feed store whether I should keep with the grower or start on layer feed since none of mine had laid yet. She said I should switch to layer crumbles and then once they started laying switch to layer pellets. I started the layer crumbles at 17 weeks and the following week my BA laid her first egg. The shell is hard and all the other pullets that are not laying yet seem fine and eat the feed just like her.

My concern with switching over to layer feed now is I have 4 that are almost 15 weeks old and 1 that is only about 12 weeks. I thought it would be to early for them to have the layer feed, am I wrong about that?

 

[Renee572]

Oh in that case I'm not sure. All my chickens are the same age so the lady at the feed store thought it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[DaveOmak]

My concern with switching over to layer feed now is I have 4 that are almost 15 weeks old and 1 that is only about 12 weeks. I thought it would be to early for them to have the layer feed, am I wrong about that?

Well, you started this out having one chicken out of 10..... guess I didn't know the others were too young for layer feed.....

Hard to diagnose and help with only 10% of the information.....

 

[Bassbum2]

Well, you started this out having one chicken out of 10..... guess I didn't know the others were too young for layer feed.....

Hard to diagnose and help with only 10% of the information.....

Sorry, I should have given more info. Later today, another one of my girls (18 weeks old) laid her first egg, it looks to be a good egg as well as the other girls first 3 egg just a little small, only 1 3/8oz. I have 1 that is 18 weeks old, 4 that are 17 weeks, 4 that are 15 weeks and one is unknown but I am guessing she is about 12 weeks. I hope this fills in the gaps.