Re: Egg eater Chickens

Elaine MacGregor wrote:
I've got a couple of white leghorns that are about three years old
now. They have been fantastic layers (from the little I know) usually
giving me an egg each for 13 out of 14 days, or thereabouts. They
have oyster shell separately and I put a sprinkling of cooked
eggshell in their layers pellets. Since one of them moulted this
year she has laid shell-less eggs which of course have promptly been
eaten by the other birds. I'm assuming that she has worked so hard
some of her 'bits' are getting a bit worn out (I sympathise!!!). Do
you think this is right.

Probably
You could try one of the calcium boosters for a short while to see if it
gets the recipe back on track.
But, bearing in mind in some countries the Leghorn strains are very much a
production bird and so have been pushed genetically to excell themselves in
their first 2-3 years with little regard for the years beyond, it may be
that they are simply "tired"

They are free range so get lots of other
natural 'treats' from the garden too. The second white leghorn has
only just moulted so I am waiting to see what she produces when she
starts laying again. The other two birds are white sussex and have
produced beautiful deep yellow yolked eggs with good quality brown
shells but now they are about 5 years old they only manage and egg or
two a fortnight, if I'm lucky, but they are worth waiting for.

That is the pyaoff -- high production will always cost in some form

--

regards
Jill Bowis

Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk


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