I have 5 hens - 3 black sexlinks and 2 wheat marans. I have been struggling for several months now trying to figure out why my hens are so skinny...I mean bony! I have watched their poop and no sign of worms (I called my vet but because they "don't treat chickens" they wouldn't even do a stool sample???) I have also watched for mites - nothing! They free ranged all summer as well as had crumbles readily available at all times. My mom was giving them too many treats which I had to cut way back. I am now restricting their free ranging (I figure there's so few bugs this time of year anyway) and have changed the 16% crumbles to 22% mini pellets. I give them just a bit of scratch a couple times a week and have given them fresh cut turnip greens a few times. One is molting but I'm still down to 1 egg a day maybe 2 if I'm lucky. What can I do to help put some weight on them and increase egg production? They aren't too keen on the pellets either but I've stopped giving them anything else in an effort to straighten their diets out. I figure they will eat them or go hungry - which I really don't think they would do. I'm worried that they won't do well in the winter cold this thin. They are supposed to be all less than 2 yrs old.
Also on a side note...do chicken feathers go white as they age? I have one that came to me with a few little white spots on her head and now she has quite a few??
Thanks in advance!!!
Also on a side note...do chicken feathers go white as they age? I have one that came to me with a few little white spots on her head and now she has quite a few??
Thanks in advance!!!