feeding chooks their eggshells! I've read on here somewhere that it's good grind up the eggshells and feed them back to the chooks.I've always baked off the shells, and used them in the garden, but now we have chooks. how much should i give them (I keep a roasting tin of shells by the phone so i can crunch them up when i'm chatting) . should i mix it in with their hot mash and scraps in the morning, or with their wheat at night!
koru_designs,
May 28, 11:04am
Re: eggshells Some people bake them in the oven & grind/break them up to feed back to the chooks instead of grit. I've never done it myself (we provide commercial grit) but you could always give it a go. It's not provided as feed - just as a grit substitute. So either provide it separately & they'll take what they need or put a bit in with their food & they'll pick it out as required. Jules.hope your daughter has fun at school tomorrow & the chookies do ok (don't forget to make sure they have lots of water avail & a bit of a rest if they start freaking out so they don't get too stressed).
jules.,
May 29, 3:03am
the kids had a great time! not so sure the chickies thought that way though :) they were really good, they got a bit flustered and took a while to settle on the drive to school, they had never been packed up and taken away from home before. the kids all were really good, they sat in a circle while my daughter (age 6) told them all about them, what breed, their age, etc. then the kids got to have turns patting them. one got a bit restless being held, so just perched on my sons (age 8) arm (who came from his class to help) then decided to get further out of the way my sitting on his shoulder, which the kids had a good giggle over. all in all everyone had a great time and the babies are home safe and sound (and happy to be home).
jules.,
May 29, 3:10am
about the egg shells. i do roast the egg shells sometimes. but i feed mine mash and warm water or milk at the moment while its cold and that has grit in it. they do enjoy the shells. i just sprinkle them on the ground and they pick thru it with thier dinner.
jules.,
Jun 2, 6:54pm
bump. for hoodlum.
tinart,
Jun 3, 10:30pm
hylines i have 19 week old brown hyline chooks. they have yet to lay .does anyone else have these! when did yours start to lay.when i bought them the seller indicated 16-18 weeks to start laying. i have had them since 12 weeks old.hmpf ! theye better not be roos in chooks feathers!:o)
tinac,
Jun 4, 12:41am
ive got hyline and one started laying at about 20 weeks i think, the other 4 didnt start till about 22-23 weeks but since then we have had 5 eggs every day. The waiting is hard ay but its so exciting when you see the first egg in ther nest!
tinart,
Jun 4, 7:45pm
thanks tinac yeah its a bit disheartening when you have an expectation set for when they will lay and that passes by weeks!every day i get sick of only looking at p00p instead of eggs! LOLi wondered if the cold was going to be a problem but if yours are laying and you are in dunedin i should be sweet!im in Hamilton.well hopefully any day now!in addition to pellets ive been giving them some porridge and bread soaked in milk/yoghurt so they might think i am so wonderful and reward me with eggs:o)
pamellie,
Jun 4, 11:46pm
I have brown shavers and they have just started to lay, the first one at 20 weeks (at easter), the next 22 and the third at 24 weeks. Since then it has been an egg a day so far. Well worth the wait but I know your frustration!
ella42,
Jun 10, 5:03pm
The time of year also has a lot to do with when they start to lay - and it is believed that the older they are before they start, the better the layer they will be. I read in an early post that someone had no luck with orpingtons; funny, as our best layers are those, bar one plymouth barred rock who simply lays every day without fail except for three months during her moult time. They are good, placid chooks and the only problem I've ever had was being sold five black 10 week olds from Te Puke a year ago which were, in fact orpington-bantam crosses judging by the resulting size of the hen and eggs. Small eggs, two died at 16-18 weeks with genetic defects and only one of the remaining three ever laid eggs. But my other girls are great and I have another set of Andalorps which are huge birds with big eggs. Late layers, but well worth the wait.
shiyo,
Jun 11, 12:21am
just having a read about everyones chooks. seems mine are fairly well behaved. Out of 10 we have just dropped to 6/7 eggs aday. Some are moulting. And they always lay in there nesting boxes. Although i used to leave them locked up till mid day, by then they had laid, but now they roam the little orchard and dash back to the box to lay the egg. Have started to increase there feed in the hope they will laid for a bit longer. And they love dog roll! Guess we will have a few weeks without eggs soon.
tinart,
Jun 11, 5:39am
. o great so there is an upside :o)))I have had one egg a day for the last 5-6 days now. great stuff!just waiting for the other 3 to get the idea now LOL
jules.,
Jun 12, 1:49am
we finally have 2 laying! had only one for weeks and weeks, but now we are getting 2 most days :) but thats 2 from 7, so the odds arnt all that flash, roll on summer! actually, hubby said the shortest day is around the 23rd so we are looking up!
mothergoose_nz,
Jun 12, 4:09pm
this is from 1903 This is howI feed my hens for egg production in winter, and have obtained good results: I feed corn in the morning, then about ten o??
purplegoanna,
Jun 13, 2:52am
i have today removed the girls beautiful nesting ply box, im sick of cleaning it and its beyond keeping so its been burned and replaced with a banana box, which i found out 5mins ago all 3 can fit in together so thats what theyre gonna get from now on.at least its free for me to replace when it gets dirty and old.
jules.,
Jun 13, 5:02am
thats a great idea, mine have pleanty of nesting boxes, but all wait to have turns with just one.
taylor37,
Jun 19, 5:41am
I live in town but would dearly love to transform my old shed into a chook house. Are they noisey! and how many would I keep in a 2x4m grass area plus a shed the same size.
jules.,
Jun 19, 8:41pm
i think its the shortest day today! so hopefully the days will start to get longer and the girls will all start to lay again. i was thinking if we have our 9 girls laying, thats 9 eggs a day, thats roughly 60ish eggs a week, what am i going to do with them all! will be giving plenty away, thats for sure.
coolkiwibird,
Jun 20, 1:12am
Be careful jules that is counting your eggs before they are laid. It is not all it is cut out to be chook owning. My girls are lucky I love them. I am however getting one egg a day this week. Fingers crossed the new girls get the hang of it soon. I so don't want to wait for them to come of age. I bought them in feb at point of lay. Any point would be good now!
taylor37,
Jun 20, 3:56am
Researched and am allowed but not roosters. Do you recommend buying chicks or older so I know the sex. My daughter wants chicks as a pet
jules.,
Jun 21, 4:50am
You can by day old (or older) chicks that are sexed, so you know from day 1 you are going to get eggs. The chicks are a good idea if you want them to be friendly and the kids love to be able to pick them up or have them feed from thier hands.
Some breeds like the smaller silkies are quieter and dig up the ground less, but lay smaller eggs (sz 4,5). The larger breeds like the Shavers and Hylines are far more noisy and make a bigger mess, but lay larger eggs (sz 6,7+).
They are loads of fun and keep you busy, good luck.
jules.,
Jun 22, 2:34am
yeah, i tell you, my girls are very lucky i love them too. some days its all i can do not to put them in the oven! no, but really, they are lovely and i wouldnt be without them, eggs or no eggs (hopefully eggs though!)
koru_designs,
Jun 22, 10:20am
Re# 277.what breed are they! If they were supposed to be POL back in Feb, you should have been getting eggs from them then! They (generally) won't lay while moulting & for a couple of months afterwards (ie winter.although some commercial laying breeds will continue to lay) but they should have been laying prior to a moult before winter.
i found 7 eggs today! i havnt checked for a few days(as i got fed up with finding nothing!), so not sure whos is whos. so have cleared the nests out and will count tomorrow to see how many are laying. my pick is 4/9 chooks, some have been in and out of the nests lately. but im so pleased they are laying in the nests again and not in the garden, i wont have to go looking for new nests all the time, YAY!
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