Molting hen!!! Please help!!

[Themellowyellows]

There are a number of powdered probiotics you can add to their water or I've mixed a little into the mash I make with their crumbles. We have Durvet Probiotics and Hydro Hen, but there are several.

Greek yogurt is also good.

We also ferment whole grains, which is high in prebiotics and probiotics.

Probiotics are in most feeds but I still make sure they get some other form of them about twice a week. They are great for digestive tracts and helping to keep good bacteria and flora.

We have fermented food for them, and she is getting greek yougurt.

 

[azygous]

Others have all contributed excellent advice. I'll just add a few small points.

Type of feed is important. Feeding layer feed, which is high in calcium and low in protein, when hens are molting is not providing the nutrients they require at this time. I gave up on layer feed practically from the starting gate and I feed an all flock feed with oyster shell to satisfy calcium demands. This provides all the nutrients, including protein, a mixed flock needs. No need to switch feeds according to season or for roosters or baby chicks. Everyone can eat the same thing.

Falling into the marketing trap of buying supplements for your flock as well as feeding too many extra foods such as the bananas and other treats, also cuts into a balanced diet. Poop can be a useful indicator of whether your chickens are getting a balanced diet. Commercial feeds are designed and fine-tuned to deliver that balanced diet. No extra supplements are necessary.

The toes are fine. As with humans, things happen along the course of a life to alter the body. Chickens adapt to these, and they do not rant and complain about it as we humans do.

 

[Themellowyellows]

Others have all contributed excellent advice. I'll just add a few small points.

Type of feed is important. Feeding layer feed, which is high in calcium and low in protein, when hens are molting is not providing the nutrients they require at this time. I gave up on layer feed practically from the starting gate and I feed an all flock feed with oyster shell to satisfy calcium demands. This provides all the nutrients, including protein, a mixed flock needs. No need to switch feeds according to season or for roosters or baby chicks. Everyone can eat the same thing.

Falling into the marketing trap of buying supplements for your flock as well as feeding too many extra foods such as the bananas and other treats, also cuts into a balanced diet. Poop can be a useful indicator of whether your chickens are getting a balanced diet. Commercial feeds are designed and fine-tuned to deliver that balanced diet. No extra supplements are necessary.

The toes are fine. As with humans, things happen along the course of a life to alter the body. Chickens adapt to these, and they do not rant and complain about it as we humans do.

Alright! Ill look into a better feed for with more protien thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

I have always used the regular Purina or Nutrena, and Kalmbach foods. It is interesting that Purina Flock Raiser and the non-organic layer feed have pre and probiotics. I wonder why the organic does not.

 

[Themellowyellows]

I have always used the regular Purina or Nutrena, and Kalmbach foods. It is interesting that Purina Flock Raiser and the non-organic layer feed have pre and probiotics. I wonder why the organic does not.

Maybe it does? Im not sure I need to check.

 

[Altairsky]

I have always used the regular Purina or Nutrena, and Kalmbach foods. It is interesting that Purina Flock Raiser and the non-organic layer feed have pre and probiotics. I wonder why the organic does not.

Has anyone tested if the added probiotics on chicken feed are truly alive and active or if they're a scam?

I can only talk about probiotic supplements for humans. My doctor told me that all probiotics sold in bulk inside plastic or glass jars are a scam, for the following reason:
- probiotics are alive as long as they are completely dry.
- probiotics will activate with the moisture in your digestive system.
- However once you open a jar of probiotic pills, the air moisture enters the container.
- the remaining probiotics in the jar will slowly start to activate and die of starvation.

For this reason, my doctor told me that the only working probiotics are those sold sealed one by one in aluminium blisters.

Now, we know from a fact that active probiotics are literally everywhere. Sauerkraut will ferment on its own, scratch will ferment on its own, grass will ferment on its own.

An interesting experiment someone more expert then me could try to do would be to ferment a jar of probiotic-supplemented pellets and a jar of non-probiotic pellets and see if there is any difference in fermentation. If the feed with added probiotic has a better fermentation then it means the supplemented probiotics do work. If both ferment exactly the same way, then it's probably a scam.

 

[Eggcessive]

Maybe it does? Im not sure I need to check.

When I looked online, it didn’t have them listed on the bag.

 

[Themellowyellows]

When I looked online, it didn’t have them listed on the bag.

Oh ok, no problem since I got a probiotic one for chicks and 20% protien for hens. Today she still had those poops, we completly took out all of the other foods in there. Tonight, when I looked at her, I saw her breathing really heavy. We ran down to the coop and she stoped, now she is inside because we figured she might have been a little cold. The chickens were not sitting next to her ~ and now she is really naked. How do I fix this, also how do I put her back out in the morning since it will be cold?