Calcium Supplements

[THE PRIEST]

Can anybody recomend a good calcium supplement that i can give to my hens before i pair up?. I have in the past had soft shelled eggs from late bred hens on there first round and would like to avoid this if possible. I have grit at them all the time but have been told to try a calcium supplement.    thanks michael.

[THE FIFER]

kilpatricks grit is good for calcium,

[superstar]

I always add a cup full of milk in the water while the hens are due/during laying, you will find they lay lovely smooth shelled eggs

[THE PRIEST]

kilpatricks grit is good for calcium,

 

I use to use kilpatricks years ago but switched to the belgium grit as the local supplier stopped stocking it. I will go to another stockist tommorow to try and get some . Come to think of it i cant remember having soft shelled eggs while using kilpatricks.

[THE PRIEST]

I always add a cup full of milk in the water while the hens are due/during laying, you will find they lay lovely smooth shelled eggs

 

Will try the milk too thanks superstar.

 

[Merlin]

You should be able to get a liquid Calcium supplement from Chemists

[Mixxy]

Grit is the best but if it gets damp birds won't touch it. Other way as Superstar said above just put milk in the drinker, i would suggest half pint to 5 pint drinker.

 

Also worth noting if they have laid soft shell eggs, remove hens from cocks for week or two so they can get their calcium levels back up otherwise if they get in egg straight away they could end up with a serious calcium deficiency and will result in poor ybs as they will be drinking so much.

[REDCHEQHEN]

Calcium syrup in drinker (for pigeons - its about £7 for a bottle) - or you can give the hens a quarter of an indigestion tablet (calcium carbonate) a couple of times a week - its cheap - but it does mean you will have to individually dose them

 

[Guest rodders]

look here for calcium liquid

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/osteocare-liquid_1_5359.html

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Can anybody recomend a good calcium supplement that i can give to my hens before i pair up?. I have in the past had soft shelled eggs from late bred hens on there first round and would like to avoid this if possible. I have grit at them all the time but have been told to try a calcium supplement.    thanks michael.

 

Try eggshells, dry them in the oven and crush them up, costs nothing as they get thrown away ,have done this on a few occasions and mix in with the grit, they take it readily.

[Guest]

 

Try eggshells, dry them in the oven and crush them up, costs nothing as they get thrown away ,have done this on a few occasions and mix in with the grit, they take it readily.

 

Maybe like other members' birds, my birds ditch their eggshells inside the loft. and the other birds eat away at them, so I certainly don't throw them out.

 

 

[DOVEScot]

Try crushing some cuttle fish into their minerals, only ever had one soft egg :-/

[Guest]

I have never fed a 'calcium' supplement, I rely on 'soft' grit, and minerals for that.

 

I think it is also better to feed complete 'feed' supplements for pigeons. That way you supply all the 'basic foods' needs, [minerals, vitamins etc] and in the correct proportions.

[DOVEScot]

Try some layers pellets, they have added calcium in them :-/

[THE PRIEST]

I use pigeon pellets all the time. This only seems to happen since i switched to belgium grit a couple of year ago and only with my late bred hens. :-/

Have been to get some kilpatriks grit today and i will try some of the other suggestions. Only started thinking about it because this year i purchased 7 late bred birds for stock and plan on taking the bulk of my young bird team from them.

                       Many thanks for the advice guys it is much appreciated.

                                          michael.

[DOVEScot]

I use pigeon pellets all the time. This only seems to happen since i switched to belgium grit a couple of year ago and only with my late bred hens. :-/

Have been to get some kilpatriks grit today and i will try some of the other suggestions. Only started thinking about it because this year i purchased 7 late bred birds for stock and plan on taking the bulk of my young bird team from them.

                       Many thanks for the advice guys it is much appreciated.

                                          michael.

 

WE HAD A CHICKEN THAT LAID SOFT EGGS ALL THE TIME, FED THE SAME AS THE REST, SO IT MAY BE ANOTHER PROBLEM, MAYBE PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL:-/

[chickadee]

 

Try eggshells, dry them in the oven and crush them up, costs nothing as they get thrown away ,have done this on a few occasions and mix in with the grit, they take it readily.

 

I don't know how this would work in pigeons, but if you did that with poultry hens they sometimes got a taste for their own egg shells and started eating the eggs that they layed.

[Guest]

http://www.vydexanimalhealth.co.uk/subCategories.asp?PID=6#TOP

http://www.verm-x.com/

 

 

[Guest slugmonkey]

Oyster shell grit I have never had a problem

put it in a seperate bowl and see how much they like it I start mine on oyster 3 weeks before being mated and until AFTER they are seperated