High calorie treats?

[MissClaraCluck]

My hens have become thinner since they started laying. Lately I have been giving them cheddar cheese as a treat to help them fatten up for the winter. Does anyone have any other suggestion for a high calorie treat/food?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Scrambled eggs from the store. Also Black Oil Sunflower seeds/birdseed (the millet is 11 percent protein and the sunflower seeds are 16%).

Be sure to consider worms with weight loss. Any diarrhea? Some vets will do a fecal test for worms for a small fee.

 

[saladin]

Normally, you don't see any great weight loss except when they are broody. I agree with chickensaresweet, I think you have something else going on: most likely some type of parasite: internal or external.

I'd treat them for mites (every 3 weeks for a while), and the coop. I'd also give them a wormer: to much of any milk product will give them diarrhea.

 

[SteveBaz]

I found your post interesting. Assuming you want to feed your foods with high proteins + fats. Here is a National Chart for most grain and flour percentiles of each food you'll see values for 100 grams (meaning the number is a percentage) and values for one cup (which varies in weight), if available. Amounts are in grams. Foods are raw and dry, unless stated otherwise.

http://www.immuneweb.org/lowcarb/food/grains.html

Hope this may help

Steve

 

[MissClaraCluck]

OK, thanks for the ideas. I think the main problem is that they free range during the day and don't visit their feeder enough. I thought the treats would help gain some weight quicker. I have problems with crows eating out of their feeder as well, so maybe they have picked up parasites from them? They don't have the runs though. I had one Buff Orpington who started laying 4 weeks before my other Buff Orpington. As soon as the plump late bloomer started laying she started to get as thin as the other one. I have a Golden Laced Wyandotte who just started laying and she is really hefty right now, so I'll see if she starts to thin out. I am thinking of buying one of those feeders that the lid opens when the hen steps on a platform. Do hens like those type of feeders and do they deter the crows at all? Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
It takes a bit of training to get your chickens accustomed to using a treadle feeder. Once they learn, they don't seem to mind it at all; they know where all the food is kept and they can get to it at any time. I think it would be unlikely that a crow would learn to use a treadle feeder. Having said that, if any bird could learn to use it, crows would be at the top of the list. I guess a lot would depend on how much your local crows weigh and how much weight it takes to open the cover on your particular feeder. Here is a discussion of another auto-feeder that will keep wild birds away from your chicken feed: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=485925. I might also work to prevent crows from eating your food and is considerably cheaper. Good luck!

 

[galanie]

From your last post, it sounds like they only get thin once they start laying. Perhaps you should give them a higher protein food anyway. Like mix in chick starter since most layer food is only 15-16% protein and many have found that layers do better on closer to 18-20%. If you did this, you'd need to offer them oyster shell or crushed egg shell on the side.

 

[Chicken xto]

We got a treadle feeder to deter rats, and the rats ate right through the wooden feeder, so make sure and get the metal one......also, our hens never got the hang of it!