***chicken Questions***

[NYREDS]

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

 

[NYREDS]

That's all the chicken questions I have. I eagerly await your answers.

 

[WildflowerJLH]

Quote:
I know this one! Chicken

 

[obmarriott]

Really? I don't really know what to feed my supposedly 5-6 week old pullets (they came from 2 different people on craigslist so who knows). I've been to two pet stores and it seems there is either chick mash or layer crumbles, but these guys are neither. And good lord the mash just goes everywhere. Oh, and I also have some scratch, but now I read that is only for when it is cold (and, uh, here in coastal San Diego it is never cold) so I guess it'll just be a treat. Thanks.

 

[Katy]

Hmmmm...no offense, but I find this thread a bit odd. To have a thread to answer questions when that is what the whole of BYC is for seems a bit redundant to me....especially in the breed and gender forum.

 

[awesomefowl]

I think Louieandthecrew was bored.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Quote:
I was

Anyways!

David - It is a good idea to use oyster shells when your hens turn about six or seven months old or their eggs will crack when they lay them. (Not very good.)

NYREDS - I think that the chicken crossed the road to live in a BYC members backyard

But who knows?!

And for teh second question (Which came first, the chicken or the egg) I say that the chicken came first! Read it and weap!

Gen 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. ( WindflowerJLH - you're right

)

obmarriott - I would go with the mash (because the yare still pretty young) and you can give your chickens scratch anytime... It is just to teach them to peck around at the ground for bugs and grubs

Katy - Yah I was just bored, as I said earlier

And I love answering people's questions!

Anymore???

 

[SunnyDayz]

Quote:

 

[Louieandthecrew]

That's what i thought!

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
David,
If you are feeding a complete feed for layers/ breeders feed and not offering a bunch of treats you should not need to supplement with Oyster Shells, but if you are adding treats and or feeding a feed that doesn't offer added Calcium then you should.
Laying hens need Calcium to form strong, sturdy eggshells. Hens without proper amounts of calcium lay thin-shelled eggs, or eggs with no shell at all! The amount of calcium a hen needs will vary with her age, diet, health, breed, and size. Older hens need more calcium than younger pullets, and hens in hot weather need extra calcium concentrations in their feed since they are eating less due to the heat and might not be getting all the calcium they need. Since eggshells are 94 percent calcium carbonate, oyster shells and ground up limestone are good sources of supplementary calcium.
Make sure you are not purchasing dolomite limestone, since this is harmful to egg production!

Now if you are supplementing with Oyster Shells you may also have to offer a good sores of Vitamin D.
The main function of Vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium, and phosphorus. The lack of vitamin D can cause soft egg shells, and brittle, or thin bones in fowl. Vitamin D also helps keep your birds immune system strong, and can affect their over all growth, and development. Extreme cases of vitamin D deficiency can even lead to diseases like Rickets.

Good sources of Vitamin D would be Water Soluble Vitamin Supplements, Liver, and Fish.

Chris