Lady_Bat
Songster
Sorry if this has been asked before but I'm in a bit of a panic. My girls are painful skinny. How can I help them get to a healthy weight? It's hurting egg production & I have people coming out of the woodwork looking for eggs right now.
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
We have a mixed flock. Our Leghorn is fine everyone else is underweight or severely underweight. Mostly Easter Eggers, a Plymouth Rock, Speckled Sussex, various Marans, a cuckoo Bluebar blue egger, a cream legbar, an ophington, a campine, austrolorps, a welsummer, a brahma. We have 19 girls total. 10 are a year old, 9 are 7 months old.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
They run around like normal, hunt for bugs like normal, come running when they see us like normal, etc. But their egg production isn't what it should be, I'm getting pullet eggs more often than not. Most are supposed to be putting out large eggs daily or almost daily. No one is egg bound. All but the Leghorn have protruding breast bones, some were so severe I was shocked that they're still perky.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
All Spring but it's slowly getting worse. We had a random day that the Leghorn was the only egg. The eggs we do get are medium (I weigh them) at best.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Everyone but the Leghorn. My favorite egger (Edna) has stopped laying all together. She laid everyday through winter without suplimental lighting (we're big on organic/natural). Leghorn laid every day through winter & is fine. Our Black Copper Maran laid large eggs all through winter, now shes giving us medium eggs daily.
We separated our Plymouth Rock, Sussex, & cream Legbar. The first 2 were doing a lot of bullying of the younger girls & the cream Legbar only eats her own eggs (always has, shes not right in the head). The 3 of them are happy as can be in their separate setup but still not gaining weight. The best egg weight the plymouth rock has given is 55 grams.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Nope.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
We added another fence section. Could they be running around too much?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
New Country Organic Soy Free Layer Feed. We have 7 feeders & 2 waterers out there with them at all times. They do favor some feeders over others but we refill those often. For treats we give the Grubbly's, fresh fruit or veggies, on cold mornings we give them cooked oatmeal or scrambled eggs. I just started giving them Dave's Killer Multigrain bread hoping it'll help fatten them a bit.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop is normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
More treats. How the heck do I get them to put in weight?! I'll cook them a brisket if need be!!
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I think the nearest vet is like 4 hours away.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
We keep them on pasture & rotate them about every week. Their space is comprised of 3 electric fence sections, Amish made coop on wheels (24 full sized chicken max). We use clean cow hay for the bedding (the cows still like to eat it after we clean the coop, weirdos).
Please help me get them to a healthy weight!!
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
We have a mixed flock. Our Leghorn is fine everyone else is underweight or severely underweight. Mostly Easter Eggers, a Plymouth Rock, Speckled Sussex, various Marans, a cuckoo Bluebar blue egger, a cream legbar, an ophington, a campine, austrolorps, a welsummer, a brahma. We have 19 girls total. 10 are a year old, 9 are 7 months old.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
They run around like normal, hunt for bugs like normal, come running when they see us like normal, etc. But their egg production isn't what it should be, I'm getting pullet eggs more often than not. Most are supposed to be putting out large eggs daily or almost daily. No one is egg bound. All but the Leghorn have protruding breast bones, some were so severe I was shocked that they're still perky.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
All Spring but it's slowly getting worse. We had a random day that the Leghorn was the only egg. The eggs we do get are medium (I weigh them) at best.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Everyone but the Leghorn. My favorite egger (Edna) has stopped laying all together. She laid everyday through winter without suplimental lighting (we're big on organic/natural). Leghorn laid every day through winter & is fine. Our Black Copper Maran laid large eggs all through winter, now shes giving us medium eggs daily.
We separated our Plymouth Rock, Sussex, & cream Legbar. The first 2 were doing a lot of bullying of the younger girls & the cream Legbar only eats her own eggs (always has, shes not right in the head). The 3 of them are happy as can be in their separate setup but still not gaining weight. The best egg weight the plymouth rock has given is 55 grams.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Nope.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
We added another fence section. Could they be running around too much?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
New Country Organic Soy Free Layer Feed. We have 7 feeders & 2 waterers out there with them at all times. They do favor some feeders over others but we refill those often. For treats we give the Grubbly's, fresh fruit or veggies, on cold mornings we give them cooked oatmeal or scrambled eggs. I just started giving them Dave's Killer Multigrain bread hoping it'll help fatten them a bit.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop is normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
More treats. How the heck do I get them to put in weight?! I'll cook them a brisket if need be!!
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I think the nearest vet is like 4 hours away.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
We keep them on pasture & rotate them about every week. Their space is comprised of 3 electric fence sections, Amish made coop on wheels (24 full sized chicken max). We use clean cow hay for the bedding (the cows still like to eat it after we clean the coop, weirdos).
Please help me get them to a healthy weight!!