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Post by spamela on Aug 10, 2010 18:52:10 GMT -6
Ok. I need schooling on feeding methods obviously. I lost a hen about two weeks back from what we figure must be egg binding. I have another hen that has the same symptoms today. Perfectly healthy until today and now all hunched over and acting lethargic. No discharge from anywhere nothing.
Also found a soft shell egg in the coop today.
So obviously in doing something wrong. Do I mix the oyster shell in with the feed? I've just been tossing handfuls out for them.
Gina- where do I get the black oiled sunflower seed and how do I feed that as well? Mixed in or just a little at a time.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose this one too which is just frustrating because my inexperience is the cause. But I'm hoping I can get some feedback and hopefully correct what I'm doing wrong.
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8bells
Junior Member
Chickens are Revolting
Posts: 137
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Post by 8bells on Aug 10, 2010 23:13:20 GMT -6
I am 'old school', but, we always fed 'free-choice'. Chickens are not as dumb as we think they are...they KNOW what they need, and will eat IT. Oyster shell sounds like what is missing in the diet. Oyster shell, even if included in the feed, should always be an 'optional choice' for the ladies. I have owned back-yard chickens where enough eggs to make Sunday morning breakfast was a concern, and managed a farm where 2,000 dozen a day was the norm. The bottom line is that if the required nutrients and requirements are met, the ladies will perform.
P.S. On that 2k dozen a day farm, the bulk got fed a mix. The senior hens were fed the same mix, except it was divided into different troughs... what got cleaned out was added to tomorrows general feed. A senior hen is your greatest measure of WHAT they NEED. Tomorrows mix was (almost) always based on what the 'old ladies' ate today. Most of what they ate was grown on the farm. What had to be bought, depended on the economy...it was a foreign country, and sometimes, what was not grown on the farm was UNAVAILABLE.
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Post by rinksgi on Aug 11, 2010 9:33:11 GMT -6
Wow, Pam, I hope you don't loses her. You can feed oyster shell, or you can feed diatamaesous Earth(D.E.). I switched to using it because it does more than harden the shells. It also helps in controlling parasites and for some reason, promotes feather growing after a moult. You can get it as well as the sunflower seeds at R&J in Jackson. You can also buy the sunflower seeds in smaller quantities at Wal-Mart or most grocery stores. I just mix a few hanfuls in with the feed, but you can also just scatter it. Mine love them.
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Post by spamela on Aug 11, 2010 13:10:23 GMT -6
Well I mixed the Oyster Shell and DE in with their food last night. I tried to give her a handful of oyster shell but she wasn't interested. She was up in the nesting box this morning when I left and she was still there when my husband checked on her at about 10:30. So we will see. Very frustrating!
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Post by spamela on Aug 11, 2010 13:12:55 GMT -6
Hoping the D.E. helps because honestly my hens are not interested in the shell. I was just throwing it out before and they just looked at me like "where is the good stuff, why are you feeding us rocks?"
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Post by rinksgi on Aug 12, 2010 15:13:10 GMT -6
Crossing my fingers for you
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Aug 22, 2010 20:29:35 GMT -6
I toss the oyster shell in the run and some in their feed dish. They eat it as they wish. I didn't know about the sunflower seeds. Are they the same as whats in cockatiel food? My girls haven't hardly laid any eggs for a couple months now. I was concidering worming them again but I think it's more the heat.
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