Fewer droppings over last few weeks and soft shells

[richardeblack]

Hello All
I have an apparently healthy flock of 4 hens, the oldest being about 3yrs the youngest being about 6 months.
All are escapees from a breeding farm for free range farms so commercial layers.
They have been in flockdown since before Christmas.
I have noticed that there are less droppings when I feed them in the morning both in the run and in the coop. Probably about 1/2 what there was before. They are very keen on their morning treats and have layer pellets and water out all the time. I also have soluble and insoluble grit out and hang a cabbage out and sweetcorn cobs every morning. I usually check them in the afternoon and give them more treats but not every day.
Three appear healthy and eating well (one has ascites but seems happy with periodic draining of fluid). I can see no sign of red mites in the run although I have had a bit of lice infestation, mostly in the ascites hen who has problems grooming but I seem to have that under control.
I'm not sure if, due to the early sunrise now, they have trodden in the droppings in but there isn't much in the coop where 3 of them sleep. Once again I suppose it could be the shorter nights but still seems less than normal.
Sorry that went on a bit but any advice welcome. As I say they all seem happy although the two 3yr old layers are laying soft shelled eggs, perhaps die to them nearing the end of productive life ( bred to only live a year in commercial egg farm).
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Richard.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

That is wayyy too many extras/treats you are giving daily. I would highly recommend cutting the treats down and only giving them one handful of treats a couple days a week. I would completely cut out the corn except on a rare occasion. Every chicken I have butchered that was regularly fed corn beyond what was in their commercial feed had fat deposits wrapped around their organs and always seemed to be the ones with severe reproductive issues. Corn is actually used by the livestock industry to fatten up livestock for butchering and is what adds that nice “marbling” in meat.

 

[Eggcessive]

They don’t need the corn, and it will dilute the protein and nutrient balance of the layer feed which is the bare minimum they need. You could add a bit of all flock or flock raiser feed for just a little extra protein. I will add a little water to a small pan of feed, changed out daily for clean and fresh, just for interest. Are they getting out to free range each day? There are a lot of micronutrients in the grasses, insects, etc that they get outside of the run.

 

[richardeblack]

Thank you for such a quick reply.
Very interesting. A typical case of killing with kindness?
I assume the cabbage isn't a problem as due to being shut in, they don't have access to the more varied greens diet they get whilst free ranging.
Is sweetcorn a problem as they love it? Should they just be on layer pellets?
The treats I have for them which they love have various seeds including sunflower seeds and flakes which I don't know what they are. I guess I'd better cut that right down?
It will be hard to do but until I can let them out again I'll have to be careful.
Are there any treats that would be ok and nutritious for them?
Thank you.