SufficientSelf's Chicken Thread!!!

[BarredBuff]

Glad to hear that the feed switch helped!

I lost two chickens a few weeks ago on the same day. I think the two incidents are unrelated, though. One just dropped dead as the girls were running to greet me as I got out of the car. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one by the HUV fall over. When I walked the 10 feet to check it out, she was dead. This pullet had a wry tail due to severe spine curvature. I haven't seen her in the nest boxes in quite a while, and that morning I noticed that her comb and wattles looked ashen and dry. Almost white. She may have had a bad heart, or she crashed into HUV and broke her neck. Or it was something else, but all the other girls are fine. I've never done a necropsy, so I didn't do one as I don't even know what normal insides look like. This is my first layer flock.

The other one disappeared without a trace during range time and never came home. So the three I lost first were the ones I named. I have learned my lesson.

I named one chicken early in the game, one of the first I lost. Since then no chicken naming!

 

[lorihadams]

I lost my first two girls, Etta and Hussie, this fall within a week of each other but I think they died of old age.

It's tough...I've been feeding my hens a lot of scraps now that the weather is getting colder. I don't have anything that makes it to the compost heap anymore, it all goes to the girls.

 

[BarredBuff]

I lost my first two girls, Etta and Hussie, this fall within a week of each other but I think they died of old age.

It's tough...I've been feeding my hens a lot of scraps now that the weather is getting colder. I don't have anything that makes it to the compost heap anymore, it all goes to the girls.

Thats what we do too, but they make it into even more valuable manure

 

[CheerioLounge]

I know most of y'all free-range your chickens, but is there anyone else out there that can't for one reason or another?

The reason I ask, is that I am having a problem with feather picking. 1 of my girls is nearly bare from the middle of her back to her tail and all around her vent area. Another is about half that bad. The 3 others are better but only the one that I have separated is fully feathered.

I have thoroughly examined them for any mites or other parasites, and they seem perfectly healthy in all other aspects. They eat well and are very active. They are still all laying regularly as well.

They are Production Reds to the best of my knowledge, and I have read that they can have brittle feathers. My girl's feathers do appear brittle.

I have tried upping there protein with things like lentils, split peas and canned tuna. I have read that cat food is often used, but I've read mixed things on that. What do you think of changing their feed to a grower feed and supplementing with calcium free choice? Any other suggestions or experiences will be happily received!

 

[BarredBuff]

To stop picking feed them packing foam that you can crumble up. Their is something in it that will make em quit picking.....

 

[Wannabefree]

Buffster you'll kill em boy

The reason they pick is they need more protein, feathers are protein. I'd give them 24% protein gamebird feed a couple days a week in with their usual rations and it should stop within a week or so. May be best to start out giving it to them 4 days a week, then gradually reducing to two days per week to get the picking to stop sooner.

ETA: OR you can give them meat scraps as long as they aren't really salty pieces. we never have meat scraps here to give them, so I give gamebird or 24% chick starter if I notice a lot of picking. Worms and crickets would work too. Anything with higher protein content will work. I usually only have that issue in the brooders because mine free range.

 

[BarredBuff]

I just heard that, sorry Cheerio. Good thing Wannabefree is here!

 

[CheerioLounge]

Don't worry Buff! It would certainly stop the picking though! It's hard to pick when your dead!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Buffster you'll kill em boy

The reason they pick is they need more protein, feathers are protein. I'd give them 24% protein gamebird feed a couple days a week in with their usual rations and it should stop within a week or so. May be best to start out giving it to them 4 days a week, then gradually reducing to two days per week to get the picking to stop sooner.

ETA: OR you can give them meat scraps as long as they aren't really salty pieces. we never have meat scraps here to give them, so I give gamebird or 24% chick starter if I notice a lot of picking. Worms and crickets would work too. Anything with higher protein content will work. I usually only have that issue in the brooders because mine free range.

You could even buy some store bought eggs and scramble them up for the girls.

 

[CheerioLounge]

Buffster you'll kill em boy

The reason they pick is they need more protein, feathers are protein. I'd give them 24% protein gamebird feed a couple days a week in with their usual rations and it should stop within a week or so. May be best to start out giving it to them 4 days a week, then gradually reducing to two days per week to get the picking to stop sooner.

ETA: OR you can give them meat scraps as long as they aren't really salty pieces. we never have meat scraps here to give them, so I give gamebird or 24% chick starter if I notice a lot of picking. Worms and crickets would work too. Anything with higher protein content will work. I usually only have that issue in the brooders because mine free range.

That's what I was thinking... Thanks for the advice WBF! Meat scraps? What scraps!!