Scott Coe
59 posts
Feb 27, 2010
7:13 PM
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Grit is available all the time. Here is the question Ive been taking eggs every ten days. Do my hens need a supplement. One of my mentors advised it. just wanted to here from you all.
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donnie james
937 posts
Feb 27, 2010
8:12 PM
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hay scott,
i wouldn't use calcium supplement unless she down then i would use it
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Donny James
"Fly The Best And Cull The Rest"
"Saying One Thing;Doing Its Another"
"Keep Your Head Planted In The Sky And Wings Spanned Wide"
1996 Piedmont Roller Club Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Portsmouth Roller Club Participation Award System Recipient 1994 '96 '97 And 2000
2001 Limestone,Ohio Sportsman's Club Lifetime Member Recipient
2002Portsmouth Roller Club Certified Judge
2004Portsmouth Roller Club Lifetime Member Recipient
"Miss Portsmouth"NBRC/90/J311 Rusty Dun Check Self Hen First Bird To Get Certified In Portsmouth Roller Club History With A Score Of 53 Judge By Joe Roe The 1993 World Cup Winner And John Bender The 1994 World Cup Winner
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wishiwon2
304 posts
Feb 27, 2010
9:39 PM
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Yes Scott, if your pulling eggs from a donor hen, you need to supplement her with calcium.
I recomend using calcium gluconate. Its inxpensive and readily metabolized. Look for it at any livestock supply store in the medicine section. I use it at a rate of 5mL per gal once a week for all my breeding stock hens. I recomend also supplementing with iodine. 3-4 drops per gal once a week of tincture of iodine. Another way to supplement iodine is adding iodized salt to your drinking water Ive used 1/2 tbls. per gal and they drink it fine.
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Jon
If it were easy, everybody would do it
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Scott
2902 posts
Feb 27, 2010
10:44 PM
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Dropping a 1/4 of a tumms down their throat here and there doesnt hurt for calcium
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Scott Campbell
" God Bless "
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macsrollers
285 posts
Feb 27, 2010
11:27 PM
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I use calcium gluconate as a supplement as well. I mix oyster shell in with red grit and that is available to my breeders at all times. JEDD's also sales mineral salts that are very inexpensive. I lightly sprinkle this on the grit. My old hens love this stuff. The dosage says hearsay so I am very careful on how much I give them. I have heard that pigeons, especially if they are salt deficient, will gorge themselves on any type of salt and then when they take a big drink after it can causes internal swelling and could kill them. I haven't experienced that so I'll leave it up to those more knowledgable as to whether that is a old wive's tale or in fact can happen. I have read that if a hen doesnt' get enough calcium she will draw it from her bones and get weak over time. I think everyone's suggestions will help avoid that. Enjoy your next fly!
Don M. Mac's Rollers
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steve49
436 posts
Feb 28, 2010
8:30 AM
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i bought a couple of calcium blocks at the feed store. they're what gymnasts use for their hands. very light, and i just gave them to my birds and i'll see how they like it.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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Dale
55 posts
Feb 28, 2010
10:20 AM
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Hey guys, my question is simular to Scott's. I pulled the first round of eggs and put them under pumpers, but my hens have never laid back. The cocks drive them hard and the hen's act like she's ready to lay, but never does. Oster shell and grit are always present and I'm feeding laying pellets and wheat. The first round are already in the kit box's, what could be the problem ???Dale
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Scott Coe
61 posts
Mar 01, 2010
5:36 AM
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Thanks for the great info !! You guys make it just a little easier.
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fhtfire
2481 posts
Mar 01, 2010
9:03 AM
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JDA,
I used to pull the grit when I use pellets...but then I thought to myself....they will eat what they need as far as grit....so I leave the grit all the time....no matter what....I just feel that it is natural for the birds to want grit...and I talked to an avian researcher at UC Davis and she said....keeping the grit will not hurt anything they will pick if they need it...and if it is not there the natural instinct is to want the grit...and no grit COULD give the birds un-needed stress...because if the want factor...
rock and ROLL
Paul
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Scott
2903 posts
Mar 01, 2010
10:05 AM
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I'm with Paul.. I feed grit with pellets.. plus I boost my grit with added calcium in the way of oyster shell.
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Scott Campbell
" God Bless "
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Scott Coe
62 posts
Mar 02, 2010
5:14 AM
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The grit that I use has oyster shell and charcoal in it, all premixed.
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Scott
2904 posts
Mar 02, 2010
7:10 AM
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Scott.. I like to keep straight Oyster shell on hand also for breeding season.. I feel that they need more than the tid-bits in the grit.
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Scott Campbell
" God Bless "
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winwardrollers
439 posts
Mar 02, 2010
7:37 AM
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I get a bag of Oyster shell as well. I add about 1/3 oyster to the red grit, watch what they eat then adjust according to their intake.
Breeders get new grit everyday when I feed and again adjust according to intake. Breeders will head for the fresh grit even before they start into the grain.
bwinward
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Scott
2905 posts
Mar 02, 2010
9:29 AM
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Plus it's dirt cheap !
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Scott Campbell
" God Bless "
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Scott Coe
63 posts
Mar 02, 2010
10:47 AM
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Thanks I will grab a bag when I go to town.
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winwardrollers
440 posts
Mar 02, 2010
11:30 AM
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I would grab an iodized salt block with minerals in it as well. You can buy the small blocks but I get the larger blocks that cattle lick and take a chisel and score the block then knock off a piece about the size of your fist. Every once in a while I dump some water on the small block when changing the water..birds love it. The rest of the block will last you for years.
I don't feed alot of pellets to breeders so I feel they need more salt and minerals.
bwinward
Last Edited by on Mar 02, 2010 6:29 PM
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wannaroll
150 posts
Mar 06, 2010
10:30 AM
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What is the % of calcium that should be in your feed? 22% pellets have about 1.2% calcium. That with good grit, I would think should be plenty. Plus it has plenty of vitamin D in it.
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Dave - Hesperia, CA.
(San Bernardino Mountain Spinners)
Last Edited by on Mar 06, 2010 10:32 AM
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