eggbound banty PIC IS KINDA GRAPHICFOR WEAK STOMACHES

[casportpony]

Just go buy some calcium!

-Kathy

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Hi Kathy,
How much do I give, and would it be ok to give to the boys too? All my chickens are Banty or Banty sized. I'm still trying to figure out if a Polish is a banty so if she isn't she is my only one that is large fowl. I read somewhere that half a pill would be enough but the Calcium come in different dosages. Pretty stressed right now, right after the eggbound incident I had a hawk incident, my first. Lost a juvenile Guinea. Hard to come to terms with it as I haven't lost a single bird until now .Never a dull moment with chickens. Thanks for all your help.

Theresa

 

[casportpony]

No need to give any calcium to roosters. The calcium pills I have are 500mg calcium and when I used them I gave my Old English Bantams 1/2 to start and another 1/2 if I saw no results. Larger hens always got a whole pill and my turkeys would get 4-6, depending on how big they were. You can also buy liquid Calcium Gluconate from Tractor Supply, it's what I use now as it's easier to give a more precise dose. I don't know how often you're supposed to give it, so I do it every other day for a total of three doses and so far that's been enough.




-Kathy

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Thank you again Kathy,
would Guineas count as Turkey sized? They are adolescent. I don't think I can call them Keets anymore. They just turn three months Monday. I figure I have about seven or so female but not 100%. Until they mature I won't know. I would probably plan to just dose them all because if the females are low on calcium dont the males also need it for bone growth? and maturing? sorry for all the ignorance, I am still new to this, but thank you for your help. also, is there an all around vitamin supplement that I can dose the whole flock with during winter. I have my flock so spoiled that they stand at the door and beg before they opt to forage. Lazy suckers. ANd I'm the biggest sucker of them all.....

 

[casportpony]

Guineas aren't laying this time of year, so no need to give them any calcium now.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

If you're worried about the calcium levels in birds not laying, just buy a bale of alfalfa and feed them a flake every few days.

-Kathy

 

[Tacampbell1973]

If you're worried about the calcium levels in birds not laying, just buy a bale of alfalfa and feed them a flake every few days.

-Kathy

AHA! Now that sounds a little easier than trying to medicate twenty birds....Good point about the Guineas though. They are also really young yet so not expecting anything until spring as far as eggs apparently.

 

[casportpony]

AHA! Now that sounds a little easier than trying to medicate twenty birds....Good point about the Guineas though. They are also really young yet so not expecting anything until spring as far as eggs apparently.

I would only do hens that are laying soft-shelled eggs.

-Kathy

 

[suewtsn]

Curious. How is your bird doing now? We get some weird size and shapes from our
plymouths. They have calcium, layered ration, hay and scraps all the time. Happy and healthy but I wonder if shapes and size of eggs indicate this happening.
I would not want to lose my feather kids either.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Curious. How is your bird doing now? We get some weird size and shapes from our
plymouths. They have calcium, layered ration, hay and scraps all the time. Happy and healthy but I wonder if shapes and size of eggs indicate this happening.
I would not want to lose my feather kids either.

Hello,
She (Faith) seems ok now, but mind you she doesn't lay regularly. I have not seen an egg since then. I kept her inside for a few days but she was miserable without the flock so she is back outside now. She acts like her normal self now but i do watch them like, well i was going to say like a hawk, but thats not even funny anymore as one got my Guinea the other day. I have not had any more wierd shaped eggs yet. I should have seen gthis coming though. My husband eats their eggs (i cant' bring myself to do it, seems like I m eathing my Grandbabies) and he has remarked that some eggs have shells like a brick and others are super thin. I am going to buy alfalfa hay tomorrow in town. Also am considering offering them tuna fish canned as a snack to supplement some more protein. Will let you know if anything changes.