A depressed hen?

[Jolowicz]

At this point any kind of proper chicken feed would be better than what they are currently eating, even if it isn't chick starter or turkey feed. Chickens need a balanced poultry feed that's formulated to already contain everything they need, without you needing to supplement with anything else. Once you start mixing your own, especially without having the necessary knowledge and experience, you run the risk of distorting their nutritional balance and ending up with deficiencies and problems. The store that sold you the hens gave you bad advice, but sadly not everybody who sells chickens (or coops, for that matter) has the right knowledge, for some people it's just a job. Look for something labeled as "poultry feed" - there might be something online that you could order from, if you don't have a store nearby, or else look for a farm supply store or ask any local farms where they get their feed from.

They get special poultry feed; the shop said it was the best they sell. This is the stuff (I give them extra oyster shell too): https://www.gammvert.fr/p/melange-d...W6cEabcpfm16vn4s5s9xxi9Zbph3obn0aAvnzEALw_wcB

 

[K0k0shka]

They get special poultry feed; the shop said it was the best they sell. This is the stuff (I give them extra oyster shell too): https://www.gammvert.fr/p/melange-d...W6cEabcpfm16vn4s5s9xxi9Zbph3obn0aAvnzEALw_wcB

Unfortunately I don't understand French, so I can't read what's in the picture or the description. From the image it looks like it's a collection of seeds and grains, which in the US would be called "scratch" and is meant as a treat, to be given in small amounts, not as their main feed. The main poultry feed is ground and sold either as crumbles, or as pellets. That's because some of its ingredients, especially the protein and the vitamin supplements, do not come in whole grain form, and need to be incorporated somehow. Also, the crumble/pellet format of ground ingredients ensures that they are all mixed together evenly, and the chickens eat all of them. With a collection of seeds/grains like in your picture, the chickens can easily pick and choose their favorites and leave other elements behind, thus ending up with an imbalanced diet. Like if you dumped a bunch of healthy foods and candies in front of a child and let them pick, they'd likely pick out the candy and leave the vegetables behind! Unlike children, chickens can't be taught the importance of a balanced diet, so they will continue eating whatever they like best as opposed to what's best for them. The argument that "animals know best" is overrated - maybe wild animals in nature do, but domestic animals are too human-dependent and over-satisfied to be able to make good decisions without being tempted. Just look at all the obese pets who can't control themselves in the presence of treats even if they have healthy food in their bowl...

My advice would be to find a ground poultry feed where you can't visually discern the different ingredients, to make sure that the chickens eat everything evenly without picking some things out and leaving the rest.

 

[aart]

They get special poultry feed; the shop said it was the best they sell. This is the stuff (I give them extra oyster shell too): https://www.gammvert.fr/p/melange-d...W6cEabcpfm16vn4s5s9xxi9Zbph3obn0aAvnzEALw_wcB

Tho it allows you to display the website in English, it doesn't list the nutrition percentages(protein, calcium, etc). It's the law do so here in the US, but might not be in France.

I wonder if it has the 'fines'(minerals, vitamins, amino acids, etc) added, similar to cracked or whole grain feeds here in the US. Best to soak or ferment those feeds so the fines adhere to the grains.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Their shed is probably 4 square metres in area with three perches and a high roof, and the run is 24 square metres (now divided 8/12). It's too dark to take a photo!

Get a few photos once you can. It's a lot of space for just 3, but we want to see what's in the space - Is there clutter to provide hiding spots, multiple feeders, things for them to interact with?

The clutter thread, so you can see what I mean: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/page-6#post-25037140

 

[Jolowicz]

Unfortunately I don't understand French, so I can't read what's in the picture or the description. From the image it looks like it's a collection of seeds and grains, which in the US would be called "scratch" and is meant as a treat, to be given in small amounts, not as their main feed. The main poultry feed is ground and sold either as crumbles, or as pellets. That's because some of its ingredients, especially the protein and the vitamin supplements, do not come in whole grain form, and need to be incorporated somehow. Also, the crumble/pellet format of ground ingredients ensures that they are all mixed together evenly, and the chickens eat all of them. With a collection of seeds/grains like in your picture, the chickens can easily pick and choose their favorites and leave other elements behind, thus ending up with an imbalanced diet. Like if you dumped a bunch of healthy foods and candies in front of a child and let them pick, they'd likely pick out the candy and leave the vegetables behind! Unlike children, chickens can't be taught the importance of a balanced diet, so they will continue eating whatever they like best as opposed to what's best for them. The argument that "animals know best" is overrated - maybe wild animals in nature do, but domestic animals are too human-dependent and over-satisfied to be able to make good decisions without being tempted. Just look at all the obese pets who can't control themselves in the presence of treats even if they have healthy food in their bowl...

My advice would be to find a ground poultry feed where you can't visually discern the different ingredients, to make sure that the chickens eat everything evenly without picking some things out and leaving the rest.

Thank you - I've ordered some ground feed which claims to be high in protein and other good things. I can see the sense of giving them food which they can't eat selectively. And I agree that animals can't know best when we're keeping them in artificial circumstances.

 

[Jolowicz]

Tho it allows you to display the website in English, it doesn't list the nutrition percentages(protein, calcium, etc). It's the law do so here in the US, but might not be in France.

I wonder if it has the 'fines'(minerals, vitamins, amino acids, etc) added, similar to cracked or whole grain feeds here in the US. Best to soak or ferment those feeds so the fines adhere to the grains.

I've ordered some ground feed (from Germany) which does list its contents and is high in protein. I might try soaking the "muesli" they have at the moment until the new stuff arrives.

 

[Jolowicz]

Get a few photos once you can. It's a lot of space for just 3, but we want to see what's in the space - Is there clutter to provide hiding spots, multiple feeders, things for them to interact with?

The clutter thread, so you can see what I mean: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/page-6#post-25037140

Having looked at that thread I suspect our accommodation may be too tidy. There's lots of loose rocky earth to scratch in and I give them vegetation to scuffle plus I visit them several times a day with small snacks which I throw round the run to give them the fun of retrieval. But when it's a bit lighter I shall go and see what we've got in the way of an improvised obstacle course!

 

[RcoM]

We've had three hens since March. All was harmonious until a few weeks ago when one started plucking feathers off another one's back. The victim was moulting so I thought that was the problem, separated them for a couple of days (they could still see each other) then put them back and all was fine until a week later when the aggressor basically ate quite a lot of the victim's rump, reducing it to a bloody mess of raw meat. The victim has recovered and we've partitioned the run using a large fly-screen so the aggressor can see the other hens but not bite them. But she seems depressed, with her tail down and less activity than usual though her comb is a good colour and her eyes are bright. It's too risky to put her back with the others so I don't know what to do. Given that she's vicious I can't really offer her to anyone else. I'm afraid that although she can see the other two she is languishing.

My thoughts are that she may have gone broody and be protecting her “nest”-esp as she’s stopped laying too. Broodiness can look like depression

 

[Jolowicz]

My thoughts are that she may have gone broody and be protecting her “nest”-esp as she’s stopped laying too. Broodiness can look like depression

One of the others has been broody three times since March (having five weeks off from laying each time) but she sat rather grumpily in the nest area most of the day (though I took to posting her out through the pop-hole from time to time). The vicious hen comes out of her house but just stands there looking forlorn. She hasn't been broody before - perhaps they're all different.

 

[RcoM]

Hmm, no. Broody hens sit on the nest all floppy. They can come in and out but they don’t behave as you said. The diet advice was good advice. I hope she doesn’t have a tumour/ it’s my only other thought