How often can they get wild bird suet cakes??????

[chuckzoo]

One of my hens is molting and not laying ( I only have two hens) the other is still laying. How often can I give them suet? They seem a bit thin and despite the colder weather they are not eating much. I bought some suet cakes and cut the one in quaters and they seem to be enjoying it (Peanut butter type). How often and how much?

 

[Pumpkinpup]

The suet is a very good idea in the winter to help keep up their energy and warmth. As to how much and how often, I just don't know. I gave mine suet once a week in cold weather last year as a treat. I have no idea how often is too often.

 

[Kittymomma]

I'm not sure. I only gave it to mine when we had a major cold snap with lows in the single digits and highs in the low to mid-20's. What are you using for their main food source? When part of my flock started to molt I switched to 22% gamebird and put out crushed oyster shell free choice to meet the calcium needs of the pullets that were still laying.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

A bit of flax seed added to the regular ration is a good boost for moulters. Be careful not to use too much though.

 

[chuckzoo]

I feed them layer pellets, on a free feed basis, lettuce, and different veg trimmings depending on what I have. I started giving them cracked corn to keep them warmer, but have stopped that since they are eating so little of their layer pellets. I sometimes mix yogurt in with the pellets and they also get a handful of BOSS when I clean out the coop each morning.

I'll add some flax too.

Temperatures here are in the 30s and sometimes 20s.

 

[AmyBella]

I put a beef, corn and seed suet cake in a wire feeder and hung it in the run. I wondered if the chickies would devour it in minutes like they do with everything else, but a week later more than half of it is still there! I wonder if they pace themselves with it because it is too rich or if the feeder slows them down or what?

 

[Anny]

Use it as a treat only. To much could result in fatty liver.

 

[chuckzoo]

I will cut down the amount maybe to 1/8 of a block rather than a 1/4 and give about once a week - do you think that would be OK?

 

[trinityfly]

For many years now have fed my chickens all kinds of trimmings from the kitchen, including ground beef and other meat fats (suet)(no poultry). Not a lot but during cold snaps they prefer it over anything else. I sometimes put ground up fat trimmings into little square baskets used for wild bird cakes and hang it in their run, that makes the suet last longer. Otherwise, they just gobble it up. As to health concerns, most all birds healthy and some up into the 7-8 year old range. I have had birds live until 10. Of course they don't lay many eggs past the prime, we just consider them as retired. They may be old but they are still my friends.

 

[fiberart57]

The amount of protein in a suet cake is surprisingly low; about 4 or 5%. It will give them some fat to eat, but wouldn't it make as much sense to give them ground beef with 15 or 20% fat? I feed suet cakes to the wild birds and they seem to be much more interested in the bugs and grains in them than the actual suet.

Mary