What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

Oh…and here is some better pictures of the coop I got. It is on a standard flat bed trailer. It is 3’x4’ on the outside. So really a little less square footage on the inside. But here’s some pictures…please ignore the stuff on the trailer, it’s still the mess from their house.

I honestly don't think that's much smaller than my 'big' coop! The chickens only spend the night in there though. I had 4 standard size birds in it originally. I'd not put any more than that in.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

If some eggs are shell-less followed by a normal egg, it may not be a calcium issue at all. It may be that the affected eggs are passing through the reproductive system too quickly and not sitting in the shell gland long enough to get a shell on them. My ex-batt, Connie, laid the occasional shell-less egg because of this. She even laid a completely 'naked' egg once. Not even a membrane - it looked just like when you crack an egg into a pan. None of the calcium boosts in the world help in that situation.

One of my other ex-batts, Maud, also laid a range of shell-less and paper-thin shelled eggs towards the end of her laying life. She  did have a calcium issue and she had a calcium citrate supplement every day ( just a normal human one crushed up). Can you get a product called 'nutrobal' over there? It's a calcium powder supplement designed for reptiles, really easy to mix with food and fast acting. She had two weeks of that them started the crushed up tablets. It absolutely helped.

Tropical Babies is correct, short term supplementation won't hurt any of your hens. If they can't use the extra calcium, it'll be excreted on the shells in little lumps. I'd definitely supplement for a couple of weeks to see if it helps.

I'm observing a uterus removal on a hen as part of my course on Wednesday. Would you like me to ask about your situation and see if anyone has any ideas?

I will have to look into the calcium powder. I haven’t heard of it but that doesn’t mean anything. And I would love any extra advice I can get. They are just pullets starting out but I would love to work out any kinks that there may or may not be. If there isn’t anything I can do about it than there isn’t but I for sure want to make sure I do everything I can to help them.

 

[PopoMyers]

Have my fingers crossed. Fighting moles today. Got some of those light up smoke bombs you stick down the run. Additionally, ran my blow dryer to force the smoke down into all the tunnels. Had smoke coming up through the grass and other places. Kept the flock locked up until the air cleared. They were not happy for that time, but later got to play in all the fallen leaves.

 

[Shetland lover]

I haven't caught up yet, hopefully I have time to do that later today.

Poor Molly is just getting worse. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but the closest thing I could find was edema, but there's not a lot of info of that in chickens (and when there is it's all in their abdomen) and at least in humans it's a symptom, not a cause. And there are so many causes, it's hard to narrow it down. I'm thinking she must have some sort of liver/heart/kidney/something else failure, but IME those are always fast-acting. : ((



@kurby22 I saw your post about Fluff. I'm so sorry for your loss, he looked like such a sweet boy, and I know how special he was to you.

Did you check if her joints were hot, FrankieDoodle? And would you like me to ask on my course if anyone has any ideas about Molly? I'm really sorry to hear she's not picked up any

 

[PopoMyers]

I will have to look into the calcium powder. I haven’t heard of it but that doesn’t mean anything. And I would love any extra advice I can get. They are just pullets starting out but I would love to work out any kinks that there may or may not be. If there isn’t anything I can do about it than there isn’t but I for sure want to make sure I do everything I can to help them.

Pullets' egg systems are just coming online, so there will be kinks and such to work out. Don't worry too much. It'll get to where you won't find them any more, until they molt, stop laying, and then start up again. Just make sure they have layer pellets, or all flock and oyster shell. Depending on your setup, be ready to do an occasional egg hunt. Mine were getting used to the urge, and I'd find eggs in the run. Still do when the one favorite box is occupied for too long. They are sure silly.

 

[Shetland lover]

One of our puppy girls eyes are opening and she is completely freaked out!!! She sees one of us and SCREAMS. And of course Isa (momma, again pronounced Esa) is freaking out. She is freaking out so much she is winning and shaking. We tried talking to them and being around them as much as possible with their eyes shut to hopefully ease it when their eyes opened but so far no luck with that. Hopefully it will be easier for her soon!

Oh my! I know it's not funny as she's obviously terrified but I really couldn't stop laughing! Am I a bad person?

I will have to look into the calcium powder. I haven’t heard of it but that doesn’t mean anything. And I would love any extra advice I can get. They are just pullets starting out but I would love to work out any kinks that there may or may not be. If there isn’t anything I can do about it than there isn’t but I for sure want to make sure I do everything I can to help them.

I will ask for you. If they're just pullets who've only just started laying, I agree with PopoMyers. It's probably just her reproductive system settling down. I'd say it's not likely they're short on calcium at such a young age.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I honestly don't think that's much smaller than my 'big' coop! The chickens only spend the night in there though. I had 4 standard size birds in it originally. I'd not put any more than that in.
Yeah I and thinking 4 at MOST in this coop. I really don’t see any of my 6 being happy in this coop together. And mine have A LOT of room in their coop and this one fits in a small corner of my big coop. The wife apparently told him that they needed more space and that is when they put them in this shed, which would be nice size for 6, maybe 10 chickens. And the wife was right, there was not space for the 6 in this coop. The roost bar is long enough for 3 maybe… However it is the ventilation that is SSSOOO lacking. There isn’t ONE place of ventilation. Not in this coop and not in the shed they had used. And then they wonder why their only 6 chickens died. I didn’t say anything cause they weren’t trying to continue with it. But again, I’m really hoping they at least come see what we have going on before they decide to get more chickens. If they do but it sounds like they have completely washed their hands of it.

 

[Shetland lover]

Ugh you guys…I gotta find a way to get rid of the RATS!! I found a whole corner of my big coop door chewed off today so they can get inside the coop! Little jerks!

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We found a rat run under part of our chicken run a few weeks ago. I don't think for one moment the problem has gone away permanently but we flooded the tunnels every day for about a week. Then I dug over where the tunnels were. It seems to have discouraged them as there are no new runs. I can't kill them, I'm far too soft-hearted!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Pullets' egg systems are just coming online, so there will be kinks and such to work out. Don't worry too much. It'll get to where you won't find them any more, until they molt, stop laying, and then start up again. Just make sure they have layer pellets, or all flock and oyster shell. Depending on your setup, be ready to do an occasional egg hunt. Mine were getting used to the urge, and I'd find eggs in the run. Still do when the one favorite box is occupied for too long. They are sure silly.

Luckily they all have been laying in the boxes and exploring more than the one box that everyone wanted at first. My French Black Maran, Belle, hid her first one under the chicken nest boxes, and then one she managed to put UNDER the nesting material. She has since stopped doing that luckily. I go check often so I don’t miss any. I have noticed that the soft shelled that has been laid and the one without a shell are the only ones they AREN’T being laid in the boxes.

Thank you. I will try not to worry too much. I know there is a lot to work out, I was just really hoping that I would keep them from laying these eggs. Live and learn I guess.

 

[Shetland lover]

I honestly don't think that's much smaller than my 'big' coop! The chickens only spend the night in there though. I had 4 standard size birds in it originally. I'd not put any more than that in.
Yeah I and thinking 4 at MOST in this coop. I really don’t see any of my 6 being happy in this coop together. And mine have A LOT of room in their coop and this one fits in a small corner of my big coop. The wife apparently told him that they needed more space and that is when they put them in this shed, which would be nice size for 6, maybe 10 chickens. And the wife was right, there was not space for the 6 in this coop. The roost bar is long enough for 3 maybe… However it is the ventilation that is SSSOOO lacking. There isn’t ONE place of ventilation. Not in this coop and not in the shed they had used. And then they wonder why their only 6 chickens died. I didn’t say anything cause they weren’t trying to continue with it. But again, I’m really hoping they at least come see what we have going on before they decide to get more chickens. If they do but it sounds like they have completely washed their hands of it.

I hope they listen to your advice if they do decide to keep more. Why don't people do some research into a chicken's requirements before they jump in with both feet???