Granny's gone and done it again

[Granny Hatchet]

No vitamin E on hand but they have been getting BOSS in their scratch grain. Could she be low on calcium? Nobody is eating their layer pellets and well, nobody is laying so I can see why they don't want them but just wondering.

what are they eating then?

 

[CapricornFarm]

No vitamin E on hand but they have been getting BOSS in their scratch grain. Could she be low on calcium? Nobody is eating their layer pellets and well, nobody is laying so I can see why they don't want them but just wondering.

I don't think it's calcium, i believe it's neurological. You can get vit E and selenium from Tractor Supply. Made for goats in a tube. Or you can get a gallon for horses.
Even if not laying they should eat their pellets. Could they be eating too much scratch and Boss?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I don't think it's calcium, i believe it's neurological. You can get vit E and selenium from Tractor Supply. Made for goats in a tube. Or you can get a gallon for horses.
Even if not laying they should eat their pellets. Could they be eating too much scratch abd Boss?

thats what I was thinking too. missing their vitamins with all those treats.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Cap, is your dizziness any better? Hows your ears?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

 

[microchick]

Some layer pellets. Some cracked corn and scratch along with hard boiled eggs once a week. Their feeding patterns have really changed, especially the older ones. Used to eat like piggies, now pick pick pick. Eating a lot of the grain out of the scratch and leaving the corn. Saw an EF hen working on pellets tonight which I was glad to see. That breed is really what I would call an easy keeper. They don't eat a lot, don't get fat, don't get skinny. Pretty 'meatless' birds. Not a lot of breast muscle.

To show how they have been eating, I bought 4 bags of pelleted food back in August. I just used up the last yesterday. I have a big 8 pound metal feeder and I swear I've been topping it off with about two cups of feed every three days.

I do weight checks and breast bone evals on all of them. They are all in good shape weight wise. Pumpkin is the only one with this problem making me think she has hurt herself but I think I'll pop a piece of a tums down her tomorrow and hand pick out some BOSS for her to eat. Rummage around for some E but I'm pretty sure I don't have any on hand....Amazon here I come.

They have oyster shell out for them but since only the youngest are laying and only sporadically, it's mainly sitting untouched. The few that are laying have good hard shells.

I thought about bringing her in and putting her in the hospital/brooder pen but it's so danged cold out there at night I hate to do that to her. Where she is now she has three BBR roosters clustered around her so I know she is being kept warm.

 

[pertnear09]

Hi Pert!
I see you peeping Sour....

Good evening.

 

[h2oratt]

Truthfully, the trip is just out of the budget right now too. I mean, I could work it if I HAD to, but if we took the motorhome it's 8-10 mpg depending...and if we took the bronco...well, I managed to finesse 18 out of it...but...still thirsty.

Yeah I know. Money is tight here also.

A few pictures from the past couple of days. And...I went to a mall for the first time in about forever! Did ok hanging on Austin's arm at times. Anyway, the drive was beautiful..snowed a lot today and is now snowing again. A lot. Austin had had the snowblower out a couple of times. Pictures of my dogs on my lap and Austin's. Our blow up Christmas buddies. Had the lights on, they were actually bright in the early morning...and, my little Gracie.. needing some eye meds. It's usually her right eye. I just put the ointment in both. View attachment 3341950View attachment 3341955View attachment 3341951View attachment 3341954View attachment 3341953View attachment 3341952

your son is handsome

I did a round of Methotrexate a few years back and had to give myself shots.
Like giving them a lot better.Got so tired of jabbing myself I taught my DH how to give shots. Never met a doctor that could give as good of a shot as a nurse can but by golly I married myself one who could! Now he gives the cat his insulin shots.

Told him if the need ever arose I would teach him how to do IMs next. No doubt he will ace it if and when I do.

Feel better, @h2oratt. You and your DH. Are you taking the Paxlovid?

no just advil

i love that movie

 

[Cynthia12]

Yeah I know. Money is tight here also.

your son is handsome

no just advil

i love that movie

Thank you. I think so too.

 

[microchick]

I don't think it's calcium, i believe it's neurological. You can get vit E and selenium from Tractor Supply. Made for goats in a tube. Or you can get a gallon for horses.
Even if not laying they should eat their pellets. Could they be eating too much scratch and Boss?

Possible. But what've seen them do they (the bantams and EFs) are picking the oats, milo, millet and BOSS from the scratch and leaving the corn mainly untouched. I have three feeders out. One small one feeder that holds 5 cups has cracked corn in it, another feeder has two cups of scratch and the 8 pound feeder has pellets. That's for about 45 birds. About the only birds that touch the cracked corn are the bantams. Pumpkin is a medium sized bird. Maybe 4 pounds. They all have been picking the grain from the scratch and leaving the cracked corn in that feeder but eating the cracked corn from the 5 cup feeder. (like I said, weird. If I hold the scratch grain from them to get them to eat the pellets, they just don't eat the pellets. I give them scratch and they dive on it like starved piranhas.) The larger birds are eating at least some of the pelleted feed. I bought a different brand of layer pellets today seeing if I could get them to eat more of that. Like I said, I did see an EF pullet eat out of the 8 pound pellet feeder so I know they are at least eating it.

I have several different feeders that hold one or two cups of feed so nobody gets bullied away from food.. Those get pellets and a bit of scratch in them. I started feeding cracked corn to them when I had MD so bad. Nobody was putting on weight and keeping it on. The cracked corn has seemed to help that problem. They are all keeping weight on now.