Calcium question...

Not sure if this is the correct place to ask this, sorry if its not, but...

Some of the loft hens are laying wrinkled eggs, mind you they have just a couple of wrinkles in every other egg. I add powdered calcuim to their feed 3 times a week but now I'm thinking about adding a liquid calcuim to their drinking water twice a week.

Would this be too much for the cocks? I know it won't be too much for the hens becuase of egg production.

Thanks.

Too much of a nutrient can be as dangerous as too little. Moreover, some nutrients work together to perform vital functions and must be present in the proper ratios to each other. Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamin D3 are examples of such elements. They not only work together, but too much or too little of one of them can affect the body's ability to use the others. Thus a bird given a diet rich in calcium can show signs of calcium deficiency if the phosphorus or Vitamin D3 levels are not in proper balance. So it is important to understand what each of these nutrients do, how their levels in the body affect each other, what problems are caused by improper levels and how much of each are found in various foods.


My thought is that they are getting too much calcium without vitaminD although I can't say of sure.
I have oyster shell always available and put Vitamin D in the water.

Matilda wrote:

My thought is that they are getting too much calcium without vitaminD although I can't say of sure.
I have oyster shell always available and put Vitamin D in the water.

Thanks Charis for the info but I realize that one vitamon needs another to work correctly, I have to be very careful when feeding the tortoises because of that,

All the birds get vitams in their water 3 times a week, plus garlic powder on their feed twice a week.

Our birds have oyster shell available to 24/7 also, do you think maybe they aren't getting enough vit. B?

If so what do you use?

I think they may not be getting enough Vitamin D. During the winter months, make sure their vitamins are fortified with vitamin D. I use Soluvite by Vetafarm.
If they have oyster shell available, I don't think adding calicum to the food or water is necessary. They know how much they need and will consume it on thier own.

Matilda wrote:

I think they may not be getting enough Vitamin D. During the winter months, make sure their vitamins are fortified with vitamin D. I use Soluvite by Vetafarm.
If they have oyster shell available, I don't think adding calicum to the food or water is necessary. They know how much they need and will consume it on thier own.

Thanks Charis I'll order some today. :Yes:

We had sometime back thread about rough/sandpaper shell. Usuall cause is stress and nightime disturbance or disease:

Diseases, such as infectious bronchitis, infectious laryngotracheitis or avian encephalomyelitis.

Disturbances at the time a hen is due to lay can cause the egg to be held over for another day - Minimise activities which create disturbances in and around the loft. Increase loft security to stop other birds and animals entering the loft.

Incorrect or changes in lighting programme - do not switch te light on after birds being asleep.

Water shortages - Make sure that the water supply is adequate.

plamenh wrote:

We had sometime back thread about rough/sandpaper shell. Usuall cause is stress and nightime disturbance or disease:

Diseases, such as infectious bronchitis, infectious laryngotracheitis or avian encephalomyelitis.

Disturbances at the time a hen is due to lay can cause the egg to be held over for another day - Minimise activities which create disturbances in and around the loft. Increase loft security to stop other birds and animals entering the loft.

Incorrect or changes in lighting programme - do not switch te light on after birds being asleep.

Water shortages - Make sure that the water supply is adequate.

Thanks Plamenhfor the suggestions but all of our birds are healthy.

The lights go off at 7PM with no light until sunrise. The lofts get locked up tight at 5PM when the last loft check is done, all doors have locks and/or paddocks, and they always have enough clean fresh water.