NY chicken lover!!!!

[Chicken girl 15]

I disagree with Rancher .. A three month old chicken should not be eating oyster shell at all ... They should not be given that until about 5 months or when they start laying . That is why she is laying early ...the oyster shell is forcing her to Her reproductive system needs a few more months to grow.. I had a chicken that laid at 4 1/2 months that got a prolasped vent ..I was able to help her get it back in she did lay after that...But she always had a goofy butt .. she is also the chicken that died early from being egg bound ...her sister is still alive A young chicken that lays before she is fully developed will probably have problems . Do you have older chickens too that need extra calcuim ? she should be on starter , grower , or finisher ...

I have 8 reds that are laying so I do put oyster shell out but my soft egg came before the shell. She will figure it out or get sent to freezer camp. I hope she works it out. I'm not ready to process yet. Next fall.

 

[rancher hicks]

I disagree with Rancher ..
A three month old chicken should not be eating oyster shell at all ...
They should not be given that until about 5 months or when they start laying .
That is why she is laying early ...the oyster shell is forcing her to
Her reproductive system needs a few more months to grow..
I had a chicken that laid at 4 1/2 months that got a prolasped vent ..I was able to help her get it back in
she did lay after that...But she always had a goofy butt ..

she is also the chicken that died early from being egg bound ...her sister is still alive
A young chicken that lays before she is fully developed will probably have problems .

Do you have older chickens too that need extra calcuim ?
she should be on starter , grower , or finisher ...

No you and I don't disagree.

I must have missed the part of her being three months old. I thought she was laying soft shelled eggs? I've never had a hen lay so young. If she is laying soft shelled eggs then wouldn't oyster shell help?

As a rule I don't feed layer until the youngest hen begins to lay. Up until then I put everyone on non medicated grower. I have two coops that will be switched over to grower because I've added some young girls who should be laying within the next month or so. The older hens seem fine on the grower. 20% Dumor. These girls were born in early May, so should be laying soon.

Is that not a good idea to mix the ages? If you have broody hens with chicks, what do you feed the mother and young? My Del roosters and hens are fine with chicks running in the lot. Roosters don't care if it's grower and the hens still lay okay for the time being.

Once in a blue moon I'll get hens that have been laying for years who lay eggs that have shells that crack easily. If I give them too much bread they will lay eggs with funny shapes. If shells seem not hard enough I sprinkle some oyster shell into the layer pellets.

 

[lisa523]

Your Welcome
Some wont post if they have nothing positive or helpful to share .
When I read your post ...I didnt post right away ..as I needed time to think about it ...what to say & how to say it ..
No one wants to post bad news back ..Like :" its dieing  nothing we can do " we all feel frustration and Helplessness when we hear about a sick chicken

On the bright side, ahe is getting better. It seems the antibiotics are working. She has regained strenght and is sassy again
Eats her food and drinks jer water. I'm hoping after the 7 days of the antibiotics are up i can move her back with her buddies.

Thank goodness!

 

[lisa523]

No you and I don't disagree.   I must have missed the part of her being three months old. I thought she was laying soft shelled eggs?   I've never had a hen lay so young.  If she is laying soft shelled eggs then wouldn't oyster shell help?    

As a rule I don't feed layer until the youngest hen begins to lay.  Up until then I put everyone on non medicated grower. I have two coops that will be switched over to grower because I've added some young girls who should be laying within the next month or so.  The older hens seem fine on the grower.  20% Dumor.   These girls were born in early May, so should be laying soon. 

Is that not a good idea to mix the ages?  If you have  broody hens with chicks,  what do you feed the mother and young?  My Del roosters and hens are fine with chicks running in the lot. Roosters don't care if it's grower and the hens still lay okay for the time being. 

Once in a blue moon I'll get hens that have been laying for years who lay eggs that have shells that crack easily.  If I give them too much bread they will lay eggs with funny shapes.  If shells seem not hard enough I sprinkle some oyster shell into the layer pellets. 

What i do is watch for a squat. Once they start squatting i then give them oyster shells.

 

[rancher hicks]

What i do is watch for a squat. Once they start squatting i then give them oyster shells.

You know there are so many things to remember I completely forgot about the squat.

Thanks for the reminder. I'll keep an eye out. Mostly what I got right now is C. Rock pullets. Only one Delaware looks to be a pullet. Well the two Marsh daisies too, but they're already on grower and by themselves as of last night.

TTFN,

Rancher

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all.. leaving for work soon but popped in to see what's going on. Hot out today and Legolas and the girls are hanging out under the front porch in the shade laying on the stones. Big girls were noisy this am laying. Soaked all my plants this am.

I usually just use grower feed in a mixed coop until the young girls start laying. The older ones are fine with it. I have a bucket of oyster she'll hung up for them if they need it. The boys eat whatever they can get when the girls are around.

I use the deep litter method. It works well. I just clean out any spots that are not dry due to overkoad. My coops have lots of ventilation so no worries about odor or buildup. Ventilation is key to good coop maintainable and healthy chickens.

Nice to see new peeps here. Missing some of the older ones. I hope they drop in and say hi.

Off to the pharm. Have a good day!

 

[lisa523]

You know there are so many things to remember I completely forgot about the squat.    Thanks for the reminder.  I'll keep an eye out.  Mostly what I got right now is C. Rock pullets.  Only one Delaware looks to be a pullet. Well the two Marsh daisies too, but they're already on grower and by themselves as of last night. 

TTFN, 

Rancher

That is the only way i remember. I actually have my 6 year old always watching for a squat when we have teenage chickens.

 

[Pyxis]

Happy Labor Day!

All this talk of a three month old laying and I walk out to the coops today and find I have my own three month old layer One of the CCL's I hatched for chickenstock and then the person who was supposed to pick her up never showed. She was about two weeks old at chickenstock, so now she's about 3 and a half months old, still not full grown, but the two of them live in the cemani pen and I went in there today and found two perfect little pullet eggs - green pullet eggs. They have hard shells and all. Neither of the two have reddened up or developed their combs and wattles yet either. Very strange, but there's no one else it could be.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Happy Labor Day!

All this talk of a three month old laying and I walk out to the coops today and find I have my own three month old layer One of the CCL's I hatched for chickenstock and then the person who was supposed to pick her up never showed. She was about two weeks old at chickenstock, so now she's about 3 and a half months old, still not full grown, but the two of them live in the cemani pen and I went in there today and found two perfect little pullet eggs - green pullet eggs. They have hard shells and all. Neither of the two have reddened up or developed their combs and wattles yet either. Very strange, but there's no one else it could be.

crazy girls and their silly egg factory. At least yours was a good egg. Both mine were yucky.

 

[rancher hicks]

Happy Labor Day!

All this talk of a three month old laying and I walk out to the coops today and find I have my own three month old layer

One of the CCL's I hatched for chickenstock and then the person who was supposed to pick her up never showed. She was about two weeks old at chickenstock, so now she's about 3 and a half months old, still not full grown, but the two of them live in the cemani pen and I went in there today and found two perfect little pullet eggs - green pullet eggs. They have hard shells and all. Neither of the two have reddened up or developed their combs and wattles yet either. Very strange, but there's no one else it could be.

Well now I just realized what you were saying CCL, Cream Crested Legbars? I wish I had known that the person who wanted them didn't show. Of course I wasn't there either but I would have made a way to get them.

Love brought me my Marsh Daisies. Green Fire says they are rare/endangered. If I do manage to hang on to the current situation and keep chickens I will keep these. GF says they lay a large egg which is scary since they're not very big.

Well congrats on the eggs. I'm sure they'll be just fine.