yokel
Chirping
Had 3 very healthy chicks all around 3 weeks old in an old rabbit hutch with the broody.. been feeding and watering them daily but ceased giving them exclusively chick crumb about a week ago, they've been foraging about in there over the last week on a mixed diet of full corn, remainder of the crumb, crushed bread, assorted wild bird seed, bits of layer mix etc.
The other day I thought, they need some grit in their diet. I have a pile of several tons of crushed shell from the food industry - whelk, clam, mussel etc shells - so I took some and washed it thoroughly before pulverising it in a pestle and mortar. By the time I'd finished it was pretty fine - not quite sand but pretty fine-gritty. Put it on offer in a shallow tin dish. I figured the calcium out the shells would only be a good thing.
Put them to bed.. all got under mum, 2 under wings and one under the tail.
Left it next day till about 6, came in, 2 dead. it was the 2 I think that went under the broodys wings. Both fast growing cocks I think. The pure yellow 'runty' one that stayed under mums tail at bedtime, is still A-OK.
I'm thinking, the grit I 'made' for them out of seaside shells is responsible. But all comments welcome. V sad :-(
The other day I thought, they need some grit in their diet. I have a pile of several tons of crushed shell from the food industry - whelk, clam, mussel etc shells - so I took some and washed it thoroughly before pulverising it in a pestle and mortar. By the time I'd finished it was pretty fine - not quite sand but pretty fine-gritty. Put it on offer in a shallow tin dish. I figured the calcium out the shells would only be a good thing.
Put them to bed.. all got under mum, 2 under wings and one under the tail.
Left it next day till about 6, came in, 2 dead. it was the 2 I think that went under the broodys wings. Both fast growing cocks I think. The pure yellow 'runty' one that stayed under mums tail at bedtime, is still A-OK.
I'm thinking, the grit I 'made' for them out of seaside shells is responsible. But all comments welcome. V sad :-(