Best wellyboot forward. Pips frugal edible garden adventures.

starnac

Hi Trog. My parents keep chickens and have done since I was a teenager. If i remember rightly soft shells mean that the hens need more grit. My step dad used to add ground up egg shells to their food and I'm pretty sure that's why he did that.

I'm sure Pippi will be able to tell you if I'm just making that up

stepuptothepl8

Our chickens lay soft shelled eggs if Mr Fox has been round, they might be a bit stressed by the new puppy?! Otherwise yes, it's more grit they need

troglodyte

Thanks guys, that's what's puzzling me, they get plenty of grit (both ground-up egg shells and bought grit) freely available, I can't force them to eat more of it, and they've been having the same problem for the whole of January at least so it can't be due to the puppy as he's only been here half that time. Not sure what else to try. They look fine and healthy.

rtandon27

:wave:
Hello Pips! You doing well?

Have a looky at this dim sum recipe - made me think of you & the singing neeps! I could 'hear' the sausage sizzling! Do you think subbing a neep for a daikon would work?...and maybe chorizo for the sausage?

Pippilongstocking

Right you lot thank you so much for keeping the thread nice a cosy. I've stuck few logs on and now I'll tell you the tale of the girl with no internet on her pc - kinda pesky that was.

I can't blame BT I can only blame windows 8 which updated itself and left me with no internet capacity.

Took a while to fathom that out and reset my laptop.

BUT here I am

Lots of giggles here at achingly and hips. I thought it was a new form of yoga.......or that 50 sheds of grey malarkay.

None of that here. Although I do have two grey sheds :P

So - the internet has been pesky and I've gone and got a new job which I was supposed to start in March and they needed me early due to a few folks sick, so I've done 5 days so far and I LOVE it.

Its working with a group of plants I've never worked with before, which keeps the grey matter (excuse the steal GP) ticking over.

Off to catch up!

Greying_Pilgrim

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

.......or that 50 sheds of grey malarkay.

None of that here. Although I do have two grey sheds :P

:p:p:p:p BRAGGER!!!!! :p:p:p:p:rotfl:

:j:j:j:j To your NEW JOB!!!! :j:j:j:j

(creaky) Greying x :rotfl:

lucielle

Well done on the new job.
L

Pippilongstocking

Thanks L hoping you and yours are good. Was thinking that you might be suffering a bit in this nasty wind we're having!

Greying sucks love ta and when I'm out on yet another shed roof, fixing leaks, please think of me

Hope you're good.

RT those sound delish and as for substitutions most of my cooking rarely resembles the ACTUAL recipe. I waved when I was doon sooth did you see me?

Quick thing I noticed today.

Sugar £1/1kg buy one get one free in Farmfuds
Chopped tomatoes 15p a tin in B&M, sugar 59p/kilo
Porridge 39p for 500g in Mr L

B&M also had Crabbies Raspberry non alc ginger beer at 39p each

Which is yummy.

Pippilongstocking

troglodyte wrote: »

Thanks guys, that's what's puzzling me, they get plenty of grit (both ground-up egg shells and bought grit) freely available, I can't force them to eat more of it, and they've been having the same problem for the whole of January at least so it can't be due to the puppy as he's only been here half that time. Not sure what else to try. They look fine and healthy.

I'm thinking its likely not much in the way of daylight too and limited calcium they've already uptaken. So I do use a supplement (as well as grit and ground eggshells (we do that too Starnac) we mix the shell powder in their porridge/meal at this time of year as the shells can be thin.

We also use calcium carbonate powder. I mix into something tasty like porridge or alike so they scoff it but they need more than you think as they don't absorb so much of it.

Although the hen is capable of digesting the limestone, the process is by no means perfect In fact, the best that can be expected is 50 - 60 % retention of the calcium in the feed. Therefore, to ensure the retention of 2.5 g of calcium daily, 4.0 - 4.5 g must be fed in the diet.

Reference here.

Goodluck. Sometimes a farm wholesaler will stock laying food with these extra supplements in too, not sure where you get yours from.

I've tried mixing it in their water too but with limited success.

Pippilongstocking

stepuptothepl8 wrote: »

Our chickens lay soft shelled eggs if Mr Fox has been round, they might be a bit stressed by the new puppy?! Otherwise yes, it's more grit they need

Hey up hope you're good and thanks for helping!