Calcium Question

[Guest XANADU LOFTS]

Just spoken to local chemist to try and buy some calcium powder, aparantly there are different kinds of it, said they would get me some but need to know what type? its to give to a hen thats laying soft shells, thannx in advance Chris.

[OLDYELLOW]

just buy some tablets

[greenlands]

Get yourself a bottle of OSTEOCARE.

[bewted]

you can try RENNIE too if i remember rightly from pigeonbasics a long time ago,but,stand to be corrected too !!

[Roland]

Eggs shells / Grit

[Guest IB]

Didn't know that there were different types of calcium tablet, but then these are meant for humans.

 

Egg shell is made from calcium carbonate, and according to the link below, this is one of the types of calcium tablet sold.

 

I'd still advise against going down this road tho, because calcium deficiency may not be whats wrong with your bird. If its a valuable pigeon, then I'd be taking her along to the vet.

 

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100725051626AAYRbZB

[just ask me]

vitamin D as well to be taken with calcium

[greenlands]

http://www.vitabiotics.com/Osteocare/liquid.aspx

[Novice]

There are many ways of adding Calcium to the diet but one very simple one is by feeding Old Hand's Golden Boost which contains Tri Calcium Phosphate and provided these essential elements in the correct proportions.

[Roland]

You know, once the cup is full, it won't hold any more. Same as ALL and Every part of the pigeon, once it's quota has been accomplished, then the rest just goes out and onto the floor.

If one has time, especially this time of year, offer them as wide and diverse assorment of feed as possible... the first cleaned up is what they were / are lacking. So feed that mainly that the next days etc. and so on. Yes of course you must know the 'Make up' of the seed bean or pea etc. to be able to relate to what if anything thay have a deffincey of, if you want to add 'Supermarket treatment'.

Mind, a wide and Varied diet is often basically good enough with healthy birds.

Just the cost conscience feeds may be lacking - probably not though unless too much barley is offered and fed, they get fat via over eating trying to get what barley has much in it's properties that they need for them. - One thing the additives make up from the super markets make up for a tight cost effective diet.

Probably don't. But a darn site more effective cost wise that 'Brands' doing the same for you.

[holmsidelofts]

http://www.vitabiotics.com/Osteocare/liquid.aspx

 

HI greenlands.

I to recommend osteocare liquid. i have used it for 4 years now and the quality of the eggs are second to none. Got to give John Halstead some credit for this as i got it from his breeding dvd, Excellent product, I have 2 small children one 4 and one 2 and they have been taking it since they were young its an excellent product only cost about £3-£4.

 

jas.

[greenlands]

HI greenlands.

I to recommend osteocare liquid. i have used it for 4 years now and the quality of the eggs are second to none. Got to give John Halstead some credit for this as i got it from his breeding dvd, Excellent product, I have 2 small children one 4 and one 2 and they have been taking it since they were young its an excellent product only cost about £3-£4.

 

jas.

It was Chris Little who convinced me to start using it.

Lindsay

[Guest mick bowler]

too much calcium as bad as not enough. If you feed grit/matrix etc then no need for any supp.

[greenlands]

too much calcium as bad as not enough. If you feed grit/matrix etc then no need for any supp.

Just like Whiskey,a nip keeps the heart ticking over,a bucket full will stop it.

[Guest mick bowler]

Just like Whiskey,a nip keeps the heart ticking over,a bucket full will stop it.

 

yeh just like that!

[Guest IB]

There are many ways of adding Calcium to the diet but one very simple one is by feeding Old Hand's Golden Boost which contains Tri Calcium Phosphate and provided these essential elements in the correct proportions.

 

Mention of Old Hand takes me back to the ‘Gazette’ of the 1960’s in which he said calcium for eggshell is taken from the long bone of the hen’s leg. I remember too being told that calcium for the human foetus skeleton is taken directly from the mother’s bones. I’ve mentioned this several times on other threads like this one. A relatively jargon-free summary of the ‘calcium for eggshell’ process is given in a book that I have:-

 

“The egg gets its shell in the uterus area of the oviduct. Each egg spends 20 hours there for this process. The calcium metabolism of the breeding female is obviously crucial in egg production. The major bones of females are particularly dense with calcium deposits as they enter the breeding season. A special tissue called medullary bone develops within the marrow cavity of these major bones. This medullary bone tissue serves as a reservoir for calcium carbonate which persists throughout the egg-laying period so is more or less continuously present. Calcium is stored there until eggshell production begins when it is reabsorbed into the bloodstream and transferred to the uterus. Re-absorption is controlled by the female hormone Oestrogen. An enzyme controls shell formation.â€

 

The thread suggests a shell-less egg is caused by a calcium deficiency, this doesn't sound right as there is always calcium present in bone for egg shell production? But the calcium cycle is very sensitive. An example given in the book was the well known environmental disaster affecting the world’s birds in 1950’s & 60’s. From the same book:-

 

“The pesticide DDT devastated many populations of birds worldwide. Aside from outright poisoning, DDT blocked the formation of the enzyme that controls the deposition of calcium carbonate within the uterus. Egg shells were too thin and had too few pores resulting in either parents crushing their eggs, or the developing chick suffocating within the eggâ€