⠀ Vitamin Supplements

[Kershylyn]

Recently I have been reading up on the nutrients on how to grow a healthy flock. I found the article here on the BYC learning center. It was helpful with nailing down the 9 most important things a chicken needs to thrive and flourish. One of those things are Calcium, hence a healthy amount of Oyster Shell. Another is adequate amounts of sunlight. And if you live the the Pacific Northwest, most of us are Vit D Deficient, I reside on the Oregon coast.

I have some pullets that are just beginning to lay and the rest are 5 months - 1 1/2 yrs old. I have just finally had the experience of a hen that layed a jello egg and also I found one of my younger hens eating the yoke to a second jello egg.

I was recently given a bottle of Oystercal-D 500 mg. The back say's 250 IU of Vitamin D and 1000 mg Calcium, from Oyster Shell. I am wondering if I can crumble some of the pills up and put it in the water and or food? If so how much and how should I administer?

I am figuring that these jello eggs are from a new layer that is not interested in the Layena feed that I am providing. My flock is free range and they are also enjoying the wild bird seed and sunflower seed's (set out for the wild birds) more than the feed. Not my idea, my grandpa likes to be.... a grandpa (what can I say).

Just a thought of what vitamins are safe and which aren't. How much and how to give. I could probably just look this information up on here, I just wanted to ask it straight out though, so I could get a straight answer. Also everyone's scenarios are different. Which, if any Vitamin's, do you give your flock?

Thanks for your time!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

There are individual packets and larger bags of powder at your local feed store. Vitamin and electrolyte powder you mix with water. I use it the first two waterings for newly hatched chicks and again if there is a serious heat wave in summer. It's a boost of energy for new chicks so they eat more feed that has all the nutrition they need. In a heat wave it aids them to cope and again eat more feed rather than be lethargic. Extreme heat is a chicken killer especially if your lacking adequate shade.

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

Recently I have been reading up on the nutrients on how to grow a healthy flock. I found the article here on the BYC learning center. It was helpful with nailing down the 9 most important things a chicken needs to thrive and flourish. One of those things are Calcium, hence a healthy amount of Oyster Shell. Another is adequate amounts of sunlight. And if you live the the Pacific Northwest, most of us are Vit D Deficient, I reside on the Oregon coast.

I have some pullets that are just beginning to lay and the rest are 5 months - 1 1/2 yrs old. I have just finally had the experience of a hen that layed a jello egg and also I found one of my younger hens eating the yoke to a second jello egg.

I was recently given a bottle of Oystercal-D 500 mg. The back say's 250 IU of Vitamin D and 1000 mg Calcium, from Oyster Shell. I am wondering if I can crumble some of the pills up and put it in the water and or food? If so how much and how should I administer?

I am figuring that these jello eggs are from a new layer that is not interested in the Layena feed that I am providing. My flock is free range and they are also enjoying the wild bird seed and sunflower seed's (set out for the wild birds) more than the feed. Not my idea, my grandpa likes to be.... a grandpa (what can I say).

Just a thought of what vitamins are safe and which aren't. How much and how to give. I could probably just look this information up on here, I just wanted to ask it straight out though, so I could get a straight answer. Also everyone's scenarios are different. Which, if any Vitamin's, do you give your flock?

Thanks for your time!

Hi Kershylyn!

I am not entirely sure what a “jello egg” is, but I am going to assume that it is a shell-less egg! This is an issue commonly seen in young layers. Their bodies aren’t quite in tune with the egg laying process and their hormones haven’t settled yet, so the egg laying process is sometimes rushed, which provides you with a shell-less egg. The egg was in the reproductive tract long enough to get the shell membrane but was not in there long enough for the shell to be applied. I would guess that within a week, these eggs will stop appearing.

A lack of nutrition could also be a cause as you have identified. This problem can occur more often in birds that are allowed to free range since they may not be getting enough calcium in their diet. Since your birds also have access to wild bird seed, they could be eating more of that and not enough layer feed to support egg production. I would highly recommend that you find a way to keep your chickens away from the wild bird seed. It does not provide them with a balanced diet, and there is also a big risk of disease transmission from the wild birds to your chickens. As for fixing the problem, always provide access to a complete layer feed with at least 3.2% calcium in it. There should be vitamins and minerals in that product that will help support egg production. Limit the amount of treats/scratch/wild bird seed to less than 10% of the bird’s diet. You can provide a supplemental feeder that contains oyster shell as an additional source of calcium for your hens.

 

[Kershylyn]

I did end up giving the flock 2 crushed up Oystercal-D pills. I put it in their water, 2/ 1000 mg per gal. They ended up laying 13 eggs in one day. I think that it worked amazingly, I do not want to over calcium them though.

I do not know what I am going to do about them being exposed to the wild birds. I want them to be free range and if they are going to be free range they will be exposed.

Thank You for the replies and advice.