Washingtonians

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
One thing you might try- especially if your birds are free ranging- is cut the amount of protein you're feeding a little bit; nitrogen and potassium interfere with calcium metabolism. Adding a magnesium source (food quality dolomite lime) may also aid in calcification. I've gotten the same advice whether dealing with puppies, lizards, cattle or humans: the chemical pathways are the same.

 

[Zgoatlady]

Hi everyone,
Ive got to try and catch back up now... My allegies are killing me right now. Im taking my meds but OHHH So I went into my chick bathroom and just about fell over. Couldnt breath it was bad... Plus of course one of my Orp chicks is walking around the room poop all over the floor..
I need to go now, Im going to read more tomorrow. If anyone needs anything let me know by PM please..

 

[Zgoatlady]

So all of you that dont trust their thermometer, do the boil water test and also the hyg. meter test for humidity...
I do that to all of mine that can take the boiling water test, some cant they melt...

 

[Imp]

Quote:
One thing you might try- especially if your birds are free ranging- is cut the amount of protein you're feeding a little bit; nitrogen and potassium interfere with calcium metabolism. Adding a magnesium source (food quality dolomite lime) may also aid in calcification. I've gotten the same advice whether dealing with puppies, lizards, cattle or humans: the chemical pathways are the same.

Vitamin C and Vitamin D also help with the absorbtion of calcium. Someone on the forums posted several weeks ago that they got a vit D supplement at the feedstore and it greatly helped.

Here are some other sources of calcium

1. Spinach & Swiss Chard
2. Salmon & Sardines (canned with bones)
3. Mustard, Collard, Kale & Turnip greens
4. Shellfish
5. Blackstrap molasses (can cause runny stools)
6. Corn Tortillas
7. Yogurt
8. Mozzarella & Cheddar cheese
9. Milk, Buttermilk (goat's milk and cow's milk)
10. Basil, thyme, dill seed, cinnamon, and peppermint leaves
11. Romaine lettuce
12. Rhubarb
13. Almonds, Peanuts & Brazil Nuts
14. Black Beans, Dried Beans (Cooked)
15. Sesame seeds
16. Fennel
17. Cabbage, Bok Choy, & Chinese cabbage
18. Summer squash
19. Green beans
20. Garlic
21. Tofu & Soybeans
22. Brussel sprouts & Broccoli
23. Oranges (Some people do not feed citrus to chickens)
24. Asparagus & Okra
25. Crimini mushrooms
26. Foods Fortified with Calcium: Some Orange Juice, Breads, & Cereals

 

[ReiMiraa]

I have been trying but i am 30+ posts behind

In total my hatch was 26/30 but only 25/30 survived.

One chick that hatched w/out its yolk absorbed (and so exploded everywhere and glued its down) crawled over to me this morning, cheeped once and looked at me. I gave it a drop of gatorade and it looked at me, flipped on its back, twitched twice and went still. I think it waited all night for me to say goodbye. Its feet were crippled and it crawled across the bator last night to see me (then tried to gor back when it got cold). I wish i was strong enought to of done what a broody hen would of done to this chick but obviously i am a bleeding heart. I had never seen anything die in front of me before and i was shocked (was secretly hoping it would of quietly died during the night). I have now seen the circle of life, it was a brave little chick. I cried for 5 minutes then had to drive to day 2 of my internship. I had my boyfriend dispose of it in a peaceful way (he went and buried it in the trees of my chicken graveyard for me)

I love him. my BF and Dad are awesome. Today after a few days of annoying them they built me a feed storage bin. It is an apple bin with its holes sealed, lined with plastic and a hinged lid. I will be getting 1,000 of layer mash in a few days.

As for my internship, I really like it. It will be hard work at times, mentally challenging, but is also fun and i am already learning alot about cover crops. Today I went to Quincy to gather data and tomorrow we (the boss and I) are returning because we actually both messed up and missed collecting samples in an area. When organizing samples back in the lab this afternoon can you say I was a very CONFUSED and WORRIED INTERN??? Tomorrow my boss will be giving a presentation and there will also be another professor there that I have met (she is coming up from the Prosser research station)
So another chance to collect the missing data and my boss wants me to collect some samples in a field we are not doing trials in but that grower is doing the same thing and the alfalfa growing in the drive row is half a yard tall and there are no dandylions, almost complete weed supression, so he wants comparisons of the biomass of that to the trials. I will take photos tomorrow (and for my internship)

Today Dad got a NEW TRACTOR and SPRAYER!!! I can even drive this tractor because the SEAT ADJUSTS!!! So now i will be able to help more in the orchard. Tonight i am going to get to test drive it.

I cannot remember but my dry sockets are healing really well and my mouth hurts alot less than it did monday.

Sorry for the long post, just figured a few ppl might have wondered how i have been doing.

 

[T Hi]

Woozers! I have been one tired Mama Duck!!! Slept most of today. Have had a nasty migraine since I got home from the docs yesterday. I think it's just a bit of a reaction to the anesthesia. My sis reminded me that I had the same thing after the colonoscopy. I am feeling a bit better this evening. Just took 20 hours of sleep!!

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

ReiMiraa: Sorry about the chick. That is heart breaking and I can understand.

Glad to hear that you are feeling better.

I have a question for you. DD and I are going to Wenatchee to spend the night and we are meeting Jbear in Leveanworth to pick up some birds from her. Are the little shops in town open on Sundays? I would assume so. Which fruit stand is your families? It has been awhile since I have been to Leavenworth, but I know there is a really big one, on the left, before town. I remember it had a "cow-train" pulled by a tractor, and a horeshoe pit, and a petting zoo? Is this your families?

 

[T Hi]

So we are keeping a little duckle that I have named Booger. I had to give it a little help getting out of the shell. Once we got it out it had membrane dried to it's back. So I held it under warm water and the membrane turned into a booger type goo. So I started telling it that it was my special little Booger!
Booger yells from the brooder box until someone goes and picks it up!! Yes, Booger is SPOILED!!!!

Reminds me of a 16 week old booger living in my kitchen!! (Daffy)

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
It was the SLURPEE !! That yer sis shoulda never allowed ya to have because you were being such a spoiled bratty !!!!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
One thing you might try- especially if your birds are free ranging- is cut the amount of protein you're feeding a little bit; nitrogen and potassium interfere with calcium metabolism. Adding a magnesium source (food quality dolomite lime) may also aid in calcification. I've gotten the same advice whether dealing with puppies, lizards, cattle or humans: the chemical pathways are the same.

Vitamin C and Vitamin D also help with the absorbtion of calcium. Someone on the forums posted several weeks ago that they got a vit D supplement at the feedstore and it greatly helped.

Here are some other sources of calcium

1. Spinach & Swiss Chard
2. Salmon & Sardines (canned with bones)
3. Mustard, Collard, Kale & Turnip greens
4. Shellfish
5. Blackstrap molasses (can cause runny stools)
6. Corn Tortillas
7. Yogurt
8. Mozzarella & Cheddar cheese
9. Milk, Buttermilk (goat's milk and cow's milk)
10. Basil, thyme, dill seed, cinnamon, and peppermint leaves
11. Romaine lettuce
12. Rhubarb
13. Almonds, Peanuts & Brazil Nuts
14. Black Beans, Dried Beans (Cooked)
15. Sesame seeds
16. Fennel
17. Cabbage, Bok Choy, & Chinese cabbage
18. Summer squash
19. Green beans
20. Garlic
21. Tofu & Soybeans
22. Brussel sprouts & Broccoli
23. Oranges (Some people do not feed citrus to chickens)
24. Asparagus & Okra
25. Crimini mushrooms
26. Foods Fortified with Calcium: Some Orange Juice, Breads, & Cereals

Rhubarb, however, means rhubarb with no green leaves as those contain oxalic acid that blocks calcium absorbsion.

As a matter of fact, one thing that might need watched out for in free ranging chickens is if they are eating sheep sorrel (Rumex acetelosa) or any Oxalis species, which all contain lots of oxalic acid. Another thing that can interfere with calcium absorbsion (although it has other more serious toxicities, including kidney and liver damage) is drinking water that has been contaminated by fallen oak leaves.

And, of course, DDT famously interferes with eggshell formation, but unless you're on an old farm where DDT was stored and is leaching into the food chain, that's unlikely to be a cause of thin eggshells.