Hi all, I have oyster shell feed that I feed to all the chickens in the bigger coop. Then I have grit that I feed to Lucky, my garage chicken. Do both oyster shell and grit do the same thing??? I know that oyster shell feed hardens the eggs and gives the chickens more calcium, and grit acts like a food crusher. But could they both trade each others positions???
Also, Lucky (my indoor, handicapped chicken) hasn't lain any eggs in a great while, since summer! One day in the summer I was checking up on it and I saw this bloody egg. And since then now eggs. I really don't know if it's a male or a female. It's approximately 9 months old too! Are their any tricks or thing I could do to check it's sex??? I doesn't have spurs, a large comb, sickles, or even a large tail like one would!
I'll try to post a good picture of it soon!
Thanks Very Much,
Eric
Grit VS Oyster shell feed?!?!
If it laid an egg, I'm guessing it's a female.....;)
Seriously though, did you mean when it was with other chickens at the time, when you found the egg? I'm not sure of any other way of sexing them, other then vent sexing. As far as the grit/oyster shell, that's a good question. I'm curious to see others responses. Take care,
Dawn
I feed mine layer feed, which includes everything they need including the right amount of calcium.
If you're feeding your chickens a good layer mash or pellets you don't need to give them grit or extra calcium.
Also, if your chickens have access to the ground, they will pick up with own grit. Grit is used in their craws to grind up grains.
Grit isn't the same thing as oyster shells. Grit is teensy stones or ground up stones.
Well it was summer and I do usually take Lucky out, depending on the weather. But I put Lucky in her own separate cage in the older chickens run. I found the egg in the enclosed cage where Lucky was. So I'm guessing it was Lucky, but it hasn't laid an egg since then. It always has food and clean water. And I always feed it what ever I feed the rest of the flock.
Since grit and oyster shell have two different functions, I don't think they substitute for each other. But, chickens don't always require these supplements. I rarely feed my chickens grit because they have access to dirt (in their yards and when we let them out), and coarse brown sand (like is used in construction). Because we feed a lot of the egg shells back to the chickens, and plenty of scraps too, I don't give them a lot of oyster shell, but I do give them some during peak laying season.
Your chicken, if it is a hen, may not be laying simply because of the stress of its handicaps. Chickens who don't feel well often don't lay. :-) The only question I would ask about Lucky is whether she is developing a large, swollen or baggy abdomen (as compared to your other chickens)? That could indicate that the eggs (again I'm assuming "henship" here) are somehow being laid inside the hen (it's rare, but it does happen). Not trying to alarm you here, that's just the only "bad" thing I could think of for a non-laying hen. Otherwise, if she seems healthy, I wouldn't worry too much about the non-laying, because of the stress like I said. Of course, if Lucky's a rooster, I wouldn't worry ONE BIT! :-D
Hope this helps! ~JoAnna
P.S. A picture would definitely help others offer opinions on the gender of the bird.
Sry about the picture, I'll definitely get on to that tomorrow! Now as I think of it, I was think the same thing. The egg could be stuck in her. Just today I did saw a lump on her the lower breast part. But I could be exaggerating. Now, let's just pretend the egg was in her (knock on wood its not), how would I help her get it out???
Not to get off topic but... I'm planning on giving Lucky a bath tomorrow. I their anything I should do or watch out for??? Is it ok to use cat flee shampoo??? Then after she's all dry and fluffy, can I use Adam's spray???
Thank You all for your inputs!
Eric
Eric, chickens don't really need baths as they usually like to dust bathe or take a rain shower. I wouldn't use a cat flee shampoo as there is a potential of reaction/poisoning due to the chemicals. I don't know anything about Adam's spray so I can't help there.
As for the lump on her lower breast (usually of to the right) that is the crop or craw. As a chicken eats food that doesn't fit into the gizzard stays in the crop until it does fit. The lump will go down then up then down... If your chicken is a hen and has an egg(s) stuck any lump caused from it would be towards the vent or abdomen.
Megan
Yeah sry for the lack of details, Its close to the vent or abdomen as you said.
In that case it could be an egg. Can you feel the lump? Is it hard or soft?
Um... Chickenrancher I'll have to get back to you on that one...
Here's Lucky:
Here's another:
And last one. They were all take not even 1hr ago. This one was take in her pen inside the garage:
I took a look at the pictures and it looks like a hen to me. No hackle feathers.
This message was edited Dec 30, 2007 3:06 PM
Um.. I did check on her underside near where I saw the lump. Must of been something else because it's gone now!
Chickens do not have teeth. Their food goes, as is, into the crop, where it is slowly funneled into a very small "stomach" for some digestive additives--then to the Gizzard, WHERE IS IT "CHEWED", that is, ground into material that can be digested as it moves into the intestines and so on... The Gizzard is best able to break down whole grains and other chunky bits that they eat when full of GRIT. Longest lasting grit is Granite, that lasts well. All other rock and stone is so much softer, that it wears down fast and that is why granite grit is best choice--works really well for best utilization of feeds. That's about it--it is your choice, as you are in control of what they are fed and what they can glean. My baby chicks are given--free choice and they choose it with pleasure--baby grit, fine Granite, as soon as they are given anything besides Starter Crumbles. Their tiny gizzards are at optimum function at an early age.
The shells can act as grit to an extent, but young birds who are not laying should not have oyster shell. Grit that is usually granite grit, does the job much better than oyster shell, which really isn't that hard. Grit grinds the Oyster Shell!!! While the gizzard is an amazingly strong organ, the Grit is a part of its function. Shells you find on the beach cannot be substituted for oyster shells.
I have RIR's. I have learned this about grit etc. from visiting several different forums
Great info cmom! I think alot of it I understood, but it helps to see it "written" down by someone else. My chickens have oyster shell right now, but I haven't offered grit yet. When it's nicer out, they freerange, but right now they are "cooped" up. I think the next time I go to TSC for my feed, I will pick up a bag of grit.
Yeah same here! I called of at TSC and they said they should have a 20 or 50 pounder in stock soon! So I'm possibly going to go there soon and pick on up. Right now I've been using the same grit I feed Lucky with. It's the adult kind in all, but a smaller bag, so I have to only feed it in small quantities.
Eric
Eric, is Lucky getting enough sunlight in the garage? I think I read somewhere they need like 10 hours of sunlight to lay. That may be why no eggs are being produced...
I don't do have 25 watt light in her cage. It's on 24/7. I'm going to soon put a timer on it, just like the older hen have.
Eric
They for sure need more sunlight.
Larkie