Thin and/or Porous Shells

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you for sharing! This seems like something I can incorporate easily with any hen or pullet that cause concern.

I find this to be the most low stress way to handle it, as there's no forcing the bird to take a tablet, and many birds are plenty happy to have a mini meal undisturbed by the others. I use my brooder for isolating the bird in question since it sits in the run, but any sort of confined or separate area will work.

 

[Clousic Chicks]

I'm so thankful for your post. I, too, have a Midnight Majesty Maran that has EXACTLY what you described. She started laying at 18 weeks --I was expecting more like 28 weeks--started off laying beautiful eggs and then all of the sudden started laying more than one and the shells were exactly what you describe. Majesty is healthy otherwise...always friendly and has a voracious appetite. I haven't posted anything here because quite frankly I have had people be quite mean.

I need to know how you feed them calcium-citrate plus vitamin D? Thank you so much.

 

[Clousic Chicks]

I can't remember the dosage so I'll have to check after daylight. I purchased a bottle of Calcium Citrate with added Vitamin D from the human vitamin isle. Some folks use Tums and I have used that as well, but the calcium citrate with vit D works better and faster. I give any pullet or hen having issues a whole tablet. It's not advisable to give them a calcium boost long term because the excess calcium can cause problems with their kidneys (the reason nonlayers/cockerels/roosters shouldn't eat layer feed). Best wishes with your girls. I love the story about your first bird! That's truly a one of a kind story <3 How has your hens egg shell quality been?

I would be interested in knowing the dosage, too! I will be picking up some immediately after church today! How many mg are the calcium tablets? Thank you!!!!

 

[Clousic Chicks]

You did the proper thing when you found her in obvious distress. You possibly headed off a much worse scenario.

I have a hen like yours. Spring before this last one, she got herself into trouble laying two eggs consistently per cycle. It didn't take long for one to get stuck inside since there isn't enough calcium usually in the shell gland for two eggs at a whack.

I had her on daily calcium citrate + D3 for a month before she started to produce one normal egg per cycle. Since then, a good seventeen months, she's been producing one normal egg per cycle, and she lays regularly. (She's an EE) But almost all her eggs have calcium "pimples". I haven't needed to give her calcium except for once or twice when she would spend way too long in a nest. Once she produced a normal egg, the calcium was stopped.

These hens of ours need careful watching. There is obviously something out of whack in their reproductive systems that include poor calcium absorption and a tendency to have laying issues. Just keep the calcium supplement handy and pop a pill into her if you suspect her beginning to have a problem.

Keep up daily calcium until the eggs appear normal, then stop. Only resume again if she appears to start having problems.

How do you pop a pill into a chicken?

 

[azygous]

How do you pop a pill into a chicken?

Here's my tutorial on why chickens have an easier time swallowing a bulky pill than humans do.

We think chickens must have a problem swallowing a large pill just because we do. But their digestive process is different from ours. We begin the digestive process by chewing first, then swallowing. We aren't meant to swallow large chunks. We naturally choke.

Chickens don't have teeth for a good reason. They don't need them. Their digestive process begins after they swallow. The food goes directly into their crop without passing "Go", and then it trickles down into their gizzard where the "chewing" action goes into full swing.

Therefore, chickens can amaze us by swallowing things that we think would choke them, large pills included. But they actually have no problem. Slip the pill into the beak and you'll see it disappear like magic. Unless you don't get it far enough back on the tongue. Chickens can rival dogs and cats at firing a pill across the room like a guided missile, but it's not because they aren't able to swallow it easily.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

I can't remember the dosage so I'll have to check after daylight. I purchased a bottle of Calcium Citrate with added Vitamin D from the human vitamin isle. Some folks use Tums and I have used that as well, but the calcium citrate with vit D works better and faster. I give any pullet or hen having issues a whole tablet. It's not advisable to give them a calcium boost long term because the excess calcium can cause problems with their kidneys (the reason nonlayers/cockerels/roosters shouldn't eat layer feed). Best wishes with your girls. I love the story about your first bird! That's truly a one of a kind story <3 How has your hens egg shell quality been?

Her eggshells seem fine & no pimples either, but she sits in that nest box for a long time. She also likes to go broody, so perhaps that is part of her habit. She's always taken a long time to lay & just figured that was her norm. She gives up an egg every other day or every 2 days. Those EE though hop in, drop an egg & off exploring they go, but they just turned a year old in June.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

How do you pop a pill into a chicken?

Any chance you're familiar with Amoxicillin capsules? They're actually pretty large in my opinion. I had a sick OEGB bantam pullet that was barely over one pound. She needed to take an Amoxicillin capsule and @azygous shared her knowledge with me about my pullet being capable of swallowing the entire capsule. I opened her beak up and sure enough she was able to get that large capsule down with absolutely no problems whatsoever. The calcium citrate + vitD is an even larger tablet. I opened Mally's beak by gently pulling on her wattles and placed the tablet in the back of her mouth. She had no problem at all. I couldn't even tell they were swallowing anything.
I am so sorry that you've dealt with anyone being unkind on this site. Sometimes I have to remind myself that there are members here from all over the world. There are so many different cultures, different mindsets, different morals, different attitudes, and different personalities. I don't believe some folks intend to be perceived as rude/mean/hateful/etc, it's just the way they are. Another thing to keep in mind is there are a wide range of ages in the members here and that can make a huge difference in the way we perceive someone. I hate that there's no way to read emotions through the internet, but keeping the differences in mind help me to relax a bit whenever I feel like someone is frustrated with me. I won't lie and say that I've not read some rude replies but the kind, helpful, and knowledgeable folks here far outweigh that. I mentioned it before and I'll say it again, my life is better because of some members here. I hope that you will give BYC another chance because we all learn from each other. I'd love to see your MMM! My Mally is so beautiful so I'm sure your hen is too!
@Sunshine_Chick
I forgot to check the dosage but I'm heading out there now, so I promise I will post about it very soon. I sincerely apologize!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@Sunshine_Chick

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

View attachment 2332539
View attachment 2332541
View attachment 2332542
@Sunshine_Chick

THANK YOU!!

 

[RubelliteRose]

I haven't needed to give her calcium except for once or twice when she would spend way too long in a nest.

Hi, I'm now to chickens and mine have only been laying for about a week. Hopefully I won't need to worry about calcium supplements, but out of curiosity, how long is too long on the nest. I've noticed that most of mine spend about a half hour on the nest before laying, but I had one who spent a half hour, got up for about 10 minutes and then spent another 20 to 30 minutes on the nest before laying. It was her second or third egg. At what point do you need to be concerned and give them extra calcium?