She laid a normal egg yesterday at some point. And then last night she dropped a soft shelled egg and a "fart" egg off the roosting bar. So clearly, we're dealing with a calcium deficiency.
I transitioned the big girls off their layer rations a few weeks back and put them on grower/finisher feed. Which is basically, the same thing, minus the high calcium content. This way, I could transition the babies out of their brooder and into the big girls run and they could all safely eat the same food.
And then you are suppose to put out a bowl of oyster shells and the big girls will know to eat that to boost their calcium. And they were eating the shells.
I also read that feeding the hens back their egg shells is a great way to boost their calcium. But when I put out the egg shells, the babies also eat them. Which is bad. They don't need that high level of calcium. Chickens don't urinate and don't have a way to flush that extra calcium out of their systems.
Here's Coco's normal egg. She definitely lays an extra large egg. |
The "fart" egg is on the bottom left and the soft shelled egg is on the upper right. |
Coco and Ginger LOVE treats. So mixing some in with a scrambled egg was no problem this afternoon.
Unfortunately, I'll need to do this five days a week for the next three months or until I can transition the little ones to layer rations. Ugh. I'm trying to simplify my life. Not complicate it. But this is a pretty easy solution to help keep Coco and Ginger healthy and happy.
And as an added bonus, this stuff is manufactured just a few miles from where I live. |
Oh Flock Mistress, thank you for continuing to share your stories. I enjoy learning from you. Keep us posted on the eggs!
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