Saturday, March 10, 2012

Conditioning Hand Up


One of my favorite homemade conditioning mixes is simply wheat germ and Lewis Lab Brewer's Yeast Flakes, mixed 50/50. I feed to males while I am bringing them in and to the pair once caged together. I like to wait on offering to the hen till she is close as strong wheat products are a push toward egg laying.


I have also used Harrison's High Potency Mash for conditioning for many years. I mix it 50/50 with Petamine Breeding Formula (unfortunately Petamine is no longer available). I have enough Petamine to keep mixing it this year. I find the Harrison's to be somewhat fattening if over fed, note the recommended dose is 1/2 teaspoon per bird. I also add it to my dry nestling food that I keep in the cage for feeding hens and add some to my regular egg food.




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a canary that laid one egg 2 years ago. Last breeding season no eggs and the same this year. She sings sporadically. I have been giving her Oropharma Ferti-Vit daily along with conditioning food. I checked her today and her vent looks like a male in breeding condition. Any suggestions? All my other hens are either nesting or almost ready to nest.

Linda Hogan said...

Are you sure she laid two years ago? Often hens that never lay are actually males who did not come into breeding condition.

I would check her weight, if she is thin she will not come into condition either. Sunflower chips and bread are fattening.