I Gave Raw Peanuts to My Flock--Help!

[HealingJoy]

I feel awful. I thought I was giving them something great--I didn't think anything of raw peanuts, since roasted peanuts have been a treat for a long while. Now a chicken is dead. I didn't think to consider it was the feed until my mom thought the fact they were gaining weight was unusual. When I looked up each ingredient and came across raw peanuts, I cringed and cried. I lost a beautiful hen, and now I am concerned about how to help any others that might be sick and I don't know it. Can this be reversed? Obviously, I have stopped feeding them the feed with raw peanuts, everything else in there was good: millet, black sunflower seeds, red wheat, and safflower seeds. I am hoping that there is a remedy out there by chance to help prevent anything bad that might be happening to the others without me knowing. Thank you for your humble and kind help.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Im sorry for your loss
Maybe @Eggcessive or @Wyorp Rock csn help!

 

[CCsGarden]

I feel awful. I thought I was giving them something great--I didn't think anything of raw peanuts, since roasted peanuts have been a treat for a long while. Now a chicken is dead. I didn't think to consider it was the feed until my mom thought the fact they were gaining weight was unusual. When I looked up each ingredient and came across raw peanuts, I cringed and cried. I lost a beautiful hen, and now I am concerned about how to help any others that might be sick and I don't know it. Can this be reversed? Obviously, I have stopped feeding them the feed with raw peanuts, everything else in there was good: millet, black sunflower seeds, red wheat, and safflower seeds. I am hoping that there is a remedy out there by chance to help prevent anything bad that might be happening to the others without me knowing. Thank you for your humble and kind help.

I'm so sorry for your loss! Can you give them some layer feed? That will and should have the vitamins they need in it.
Otherwise give them some yogurt with vitamins B complex and E.

Do they seem to have big crop that won't empty?

What brand of feed are you using? How is their poo?

 

[ManueB]

First, I'm sorry for your loss. You haven't made a deadly mistake : raw peanuts are not poisonous for chickens. The only way they would be, is if they get contaminated by aflatoxin. This is not specific to peanuts and can happen to a number of food that are otherwise suitable for chickens when they develop a mold aspergillus, especially if stored in damp or warm conditions. Corn, grains, could also get this. If you believe the food you got was contaminated when buying it, you should tell the place where you got it as it would need to be tested and eventually recalled.

If the food you mention was the only type of food they ate, and if they are not free ranging, and depending on the type and age of chickens, then possibly it could have caused nutrition issues, leading to something lethal in the long term.

I give a handful of raw peanuts to my chickens two or three times a week, and have done so regularly for two years now. I store the peanuts and all chicken sensitive seeds in a closed container, in my kitchen next to our own grains and seeds.

Edit to add : there is no remedy for aflatoxicosis. Switching feed will be the safe way to go ; if you can be more specific about what type of chickens you have (age / laying or not/keeping conditions) and where you live, then I'm sure you'll get advice on what type of feed to get them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. How much did she eat and how long ago before she died? I was not aware of raw peanuts being a problem. Did she overeat?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do they get a balanced chicken feed and do you provide any granite poultry grit to help the gizzard grind up foods and grass? They don’t need it with layer or all flock feed in crumbles or pellets, but should get it if free ranging or eating grasses, seeds and bugs.