chrismahon
Well-known member
May be worth sharing this recent experience. We don't use feed additives at all believing that the pellets contain all they need. But this isn't necessarily the case in an older bird that may need a boost of something. I have read that a chicken eating excess grit or soil is suffering from a mineral deficiency which needs rectification before it leads to digestive impaction -and we've had plenty of those recently!
Our pet cock Bottom, a nearly 7 year old utility strain Buff Orpington, had lost his appetite and had started eating the lime render off the walls and a lot of grit. So when I last visited the UK I bought some mineral supplements (postage from England is a ridiculous price) but had to get two types because only one tub was on the shelf at the first shop.
Completely by accident I ended up with a tub of Nettex Mineral Powder with probiotics and seaweed and a tub of Verm-X Poultry Zest with spices and minerals which comes in the form of small pellets. Trying the Nettex first it made no difference over several weeks, in fact the stuff smells so strong I think it put him off eating. So then we tried the Verm-X. The effect was almost immediate. Within 24 hours he was eating so much his crop was bursting and he showed no interest in the walls. So the question is why, because I thought these products would all be about the same?
Checking the labels reveals that they both contain, in varying amounts, protein, oil, fibre, ash, iron and calcium. The difference is Nettex also has phosphorous and nitrogen whereas Verm-X also has potassium and magnesium - it was therefore either potassium or magnesium that Bottom lacked. So what I am advising is not to expect either brand to work alone to solve a mineral deficiency because there are important differences between these two.
Another small point is that the Verm-X doesn't contain phosphorous, although it does have calcium. i have recently read that this is important for a laying hen because too much calcium on its own upsets the calcium/phosphorous balance and so can lead to thin shelled eggs. Giving extra calcium in the form of oystershell grit or crushed eggshells can be very counter-productive. However the actual amounts of these products added to the feed will only make a very tiny difference in overall calcium intake so really I don't know why either bother adding calcium at all?
Our pet cock Bottom, a nearly 7 year old utility strain Buff Orpington, had lost his appetite and had started eating the lime render off the walls and a lot of grit. So when I last visited the UK I bought some mineral supplements (postage from England is a ridiculous price) but had to get two types because only one tub was on the shelf at the first shop.
Completely by accident I ended up with a tub of Nettex Mineral Powder with probiotics and seaweed and a tub of Verm-X Poultry Zest with spices and minerals which comes in the form of small pellets. Trying the Nettex first it made no difference over several weeks, in fact the stuff smells so strong I think it put him off eating. So then we tried the Verm-X. The effect was almost immediate. Within 24 hours he was eating so much his crop was bursting and he showed no interest in the walls. So the question is why, because I thought these products would all be about the same?
Checking the labels reveals that they both contain, in varying amounts, protein, oil, fibre, ash, iron and calcium. The difference is Nettex also has phosphorous and nitrogen whereas Verm-X also has potassium and magnesium - it was therefore either potassium or magnesium that Bottom lacked. So what I am advising is not to expect either brand to work alone to solve a mineral deficiency because there are important differences between these two.
Another small point is that the Verm-X doesn't contain phosphorous, although it does have calcium. i have recently read that this is important for a laying hen because too much calcium on its own upsets the calcium/phosphorous balance and so can lead to thin shelled eggs. Giving extra calcium in the form of oystershell grit or crushed eggshells can be very counter-productive. However the actual amounts of these products added to the feed will only make a very tiny difference in overall calcium intake so really I don't know why either bother adding calcium at all?
