Re: Laying feed, was re: HELP !!

a_l_p wrote:
Jill wrote:
cheree wrote:



One of the key ingredients in laying feed that isn't in other
pellets is calcium to promote healthy shells.


BUT it must be in correct balance with, at least, the phosphorus in
the diet as well. All of the vits, mins and trace are interdependant
and too much of one without the balancer can cause problems.

At that point my NZer reflex muttered "lime and super". Farmers have
for years used lime and superphosphate, commonly applied by
topdressing planes over the big farm properties. Also in the home
garden, lime to sweeten the soil and unlock its goodness, esp where
there is a lot of clay like mine (glug, glup) and the phosphate
(super refers to the additional ingredients e.g. sulphur added to
ground rock phosphate) for plant growth, but it has a souring effect
so the lime is needed in some proportion on all soils to balance it.
The whole balance thing is SO important, isn't it! Sometimes the
smallest deficit or over-supply makes a big difference, and it must
have taken a long time to discover which of the tiny components
unlocks the goodness. Example, our sheep down this part of the
country used to get white muscle disease. A local scientist, Dr
Marion White, discovered that it was because local soils are
deficient in selenium. Selenium! Poisonous in larger quantities,
indispensable for thrift in minuscule amounts.

Absolutely
There are famrs about here which are Cobalt deficient, and ironically the
early improvement strategies of using seaweed and lime make it much worse. !


It is best to have an insoluble grit available seperately for all
birds to access as will
And its is best for layers to have access to soluble grit separately
to access at will.

You've got me now - insoluble and soluble? Mine get oyster shell
grit, always available in a separate container. It's interesting to
watch who eats in and when. Are you also talking about the small
pebbles for crop stones?

Insoluble is for digestion -- small sharp chipped rocks -- here in the UK it
is commonly Limestone grit which is VERY hard and ideal for the job.


And will adding agricultural lime to the clay soil affect the amount
of calcium the birds take in?

We are on sandy loam soil, beside the sea, literally, and one might presume
that would surfice but we still offer both to the birds and at different
times of the year they will take it.
I tend not to presume -- its safer! And especially when birds are penned at
all.

I'm doing it because the new outdoor
run is going to be a bog otherwise so it's a priority to build up a
top layer of coarse vegetable matter (sticks, hedge prunings etc) and
to work on making the top couple of spades-depth of soil less gluggy
(there's always the indoor run for dust-bathing and hanging out in
when the weather is bad - don't worry, they only go out when they
feel like it!).

Sounds like hard work. Good luck



--

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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