What to feed a hen in recovery?

[Saveria]

Hello all,
I have a hen that is recovering from a roundworm infestation. She is on day four of her safeguard dewormer and is seeming more normal.

The whole time she has been sick the only thing I can get her to eat is fruit. Has anyone else found this to be true? Does anyone have any other suggestions on what to try other than the list below? I would like to get her eating something more substantial. Or should I just be more patient? Let me know what you think.

Things I tried to feed her that she wouldn't eat-
- soaked feed
- eggs (poached, boiled and fried (I got desperate with the fried one))
- bread (she'll peck at it, but won't eat it)
- orange

Things she would eat
- watermelon
- oatmeal
- banana

She barely ate the banana and oatmeal, but ate some. I know that oats aren't a good food for them, so I am not sure how often I want to try to get her to eat that, anyway. The watermelon was the only thing she went to town on.

Thanks!

 

[nuthatched]

I'd just wait, her appetite will come back.
She likely feels crummy right now. Mayne some cooked rice?

 

[Saveria]

She is eating some quinoa right now. She has expensive taste . I thought she liked the watermelon because it is easy to digest, but I don't think quinoa is.

She is still inside. Do you think I should wait till she is fully eating before I put her back out there? I usually wait till they start covering the floor with kicked up shavings, but she has been in here so long, it would be nice to do it sooner.

 

[nuthatched]

She is eating some quinoa right now. She has expensive taste . I thought she liked the watermelon because it is easy to digest, but I don't think quinoa is.

She is still inside. Do you think I should wait till she is fully eating before I put her back out there? I usually wait till they start covering the floor with kicked up shavings, but she has been in here so long, it would be nice to do it sooner.

Quinoa is better than rice for now. Chickens have no problems digesting anything like that. Watermelon can cause diarrhea since it's water and fiber, so don't over do it.
Maybe try some egg yolk in the quinoa.
She may have just gotten used to the goodies in the sick bay, I'd make sure she eats today them possibly put her back out.

 

[Saveria]

Good to know about the watermelon. Her poop was weird enough, didn't need anything more making them weirder.

Yeah, it is funny how the sick hen is offered all the stuff that the other ones would gobble down, and she just pokes at it. I hope it isn't too rude an awakening when there is only feed again.

 

[Chris2018]

Just offer a good higher protein non-layer type feed or a non-medicated chick starter. I myself would put her on a 28% protein but a 20/ 22% protein will work also.

 

[Saveria]

Yeah, that is what I gave her this morning, but she won't touch it.

She looks worse today, I may have to start back at square one.

Thanks everybody!

 

[HollyWoozle]

I would usually try to hide something more nutritious in what she will eat at this stage, like adding some of her normal feed to the oatmeal and changing ratios so that more and more of it is actual chicken feed. I’ve also mixed raw egg into rice before.

Have you tried scrambled egg or made into an omelette and cut into little strips like worms? That sometimes works! Peas are also popular and at least have a bit of protein. Cat food, tuna, ham… I’ve tried them all at some stage I do think it’s good to keep encouraging them if you can, to give them some energy and to aid recovery.

 

[texsuze]

Fruit and vegetable varieties of baby food with small amounts of her regular feed mixed in to make a mash. I wouldn't use the meat-based baby foods.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Hello all,
I have a hen that is recovering from a roundworm infestation. She is on day four of her safeguard dewormer and is seeming more normal.

The whole time she has been sick the only thing I can get her to eat is fruit. Has anyone else found this to be true? Does anyone have any other suggestions on what to try other than the list below? I would like to get her eating something more substantial. Or should I just be more patient? Let me know what you think.

Things I tried to feed her that she wouldn't eat-
- soaked feed
- eggs (poached, boiled and fried (I got desperate with the fried one))
- bread (she'll peck at it, but won't eat it)
- orange

Things she would eat
- watermelon
- oatmeal
- banana

She barely ate the banana and oatmeal, but ate some. I know that oats aren't a good food for them, so I am not sure how often I want to try to get her to eat that, anyway. The watermelon was the only thing she went to town on.

Thanks!

Corn. My hen is recovering and didn’t eat for days, completely bones. The only thing i was able to get her to eat was the thing inside each microwavable corn. When you squeeze the corn a little sesame seed sized hard bit comes out. That’s all she would eat. Maybe yours will eat that or eat corn? Its super small but it stimulated my girls appetite so it helped.