Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LhickenChicken]

I'm sorry, I know nothing about slipped tendons in chicks. The poor thing.

Yeah I ended up having to cull it It was on death's door and I didn't want it suffering any longer than it had to

 

[TX Chick Noob]

View attachment 3474957
This is Agathae. Recently, she laid a shelless egg. Then a normal one. And then one with a thin shell that was laid on the ground or from the perch. I'm thinking she laid from the perch. Is this normal for a young hen?

If she has only been laying a month or two, yes it is normal. Sometimes it takes them a little time to figure out the whole process and stabilize.

If she has been laying longer than that, she may not be getting enough calcium. What are you feeding and do you keep supplemental calcium available at all times?

You can also give a calcium citrate +D3 tablet every day until she stabilizes. Citracal is one brand name, I get the generic at Walmart. You just pop the full tablet in their beak.

 

[notabitail]

If she has only been laying a month or two, yes it is normal. Sometimes it takes them a little time to figure out the whole process and stabilize.

If she has been laying longer than that, she may not be getting enough calcium. What are you feeding and do you keep supplemental calcium available at all times?

You can also give a calcium citrate +D3 tablet every day until she stabilizes. Citracal is one brand name, I get the generic at Walmart. You just pop the full tablet in their beak.

She's only been laying a couple months. They eat homemade feed, eggshells, and mealworns. None of the others have these issues as far as I know, so it's

probably that she's getting used to it.
I gave her some extra food inside my area, and she did that scream they do when another chicken walks into their nesting box area, maybe at her reflection.

 

[knoturavggrl]

It's awesome when they start back laying - only problem is what to do with all the eggs!

Last year I couldn't keep up with demand, but my mother did want to deal with anyone coming to buy eggs this past winter so I lost those customers - and my hens weren't laying all that much over the winter anyways.

This year no one wants any - I have one person who comes every week for 2 dozen and that is it! I have been giving eggs away to my friends and family. And I have a further 16 sitting here from the past 2 days!

Thank you for posting the chick pics! They are so adorable
I had no luck selling my eating eggs at all. If they were fertilized eggs omg I could sell em like crazy.
I ended up finding a soup kitchen to donate the excess to because I sure didn’t want to toss them.
I also have taken to breaking them in ice cube trays and freezing some but I will probably wait till its fall to really stock the freezer for the winter months

 

[bgmathteach]

She's only been laying a couple months. They eat homemade feed, eggshells, and mealworns. None of the others have these issues as far as I know, so it's
View attachment 3475084 probably that she's getting used to it.
I gave her some extra food inside my area, and she did that scream they do when another chicken walks into their nesting box area, maybe at her reflection.

Do they have enough egg shells free choice so that there are always some available? or oyster shell free choice? Some hens need more than others, so need to have access to additional calcium supplements.

She is a lovely hen - I just love that demur comb and bit of a floof behind it!

 

[ValarieF]

She's only been laying a couple months. They eat homemade feed, eggshells, and mealworns. None of the others have these issues as far as I know, so it's
View attachment 3475084 probably that she's getting used to it.
I gave her some extra food inside my area, and she did that scream they do when another chicken walks into their nesting box area, maybe at her reflection.

The only problem with feeding them eggshells is each time the calcium drops and eventually there is not enough in eggshells to give them a good amount of calcium. I do eggshells and once a month a bag of oyster shells. food scraps and treats in between.

 

[RoyalChick]

Do they have enough egg shells free choice so that there are always some available? or oyster shell free choice? Some hens need more than others, so need to have access to additional calcium supplements.

She is a lovely hen - I just love that demur comb and bit of a floof behind it!

Do yours ever eat the oyster shell?
I worry because mine don’t seem to. I have tried scattering it on the ground but I am not sure if they eat it or just bury it in the bedding.

 

[Hannahdoesntexist]

I was going to say the same @Hannahdoesntexist - I think she can’t see.
Time for a spa day!

I had hoped it was just the floof but even after I cut it she still hadn’t gotten much better. Last night she was very confident around them and was eating and drinking so I let her sleep with them. This morning she’s doing well so fingers crossed her confinement has helped

 

[notabitail]

Do they have enough egg shells free choice so that there are always some available? or oyster shell free choice? Some hens need more than others, so need to have access to additional calcium supplements.

She is a lovely hen - I just love that demur comb and bit of a floof behind it!

They don't have any free choice. If it's in a feeder, it's not food. So we put it in their food (pasta with eggshell on it-what was my sister thinking ). She might not be getting as much because the other chickens beat her to it. I can bring her inside and feed her.

Agathae says thank you. She is a Cream Legbar.

 

[notabitail]

Do yours ever eat the oyster shell?
I worry because mine don’t seem to. I have tried scattering it on the ground but I am not sure if they eat it or just bury it in the bedding.

They won't eat from a feeder. They eat it if it's in their food.
Try putting it in your chicken's food. They might eat it.