Alternative to layer's pellets for sick chicken

[Lorielus]

Hi,

Apologies for posting yet again looking for advice. Bo the hen has Egg peritonitis at the moment and is currently living in a roomy box with food and water indoors on vet's advice while getting treated with antinflammatories and antibiotics.

She's also pretty skinny (very prominent keel bone) and I'm looking for ideas on how to get her to eat enough good food to help her maintain and put weight back on. She's fine eating treats (mealworms and tomatoes), and is picking a little at some mashed pellets, but clearly not eating enough of them, and of course I can't sustain her on mealworms and tomatoes alone as I think that would be way too much protein and not enough calories as well.

Is there something I can make up that she's likely to be eager to eat that will also give her good all-round nutrition to help with getting her back to a good weight?

Many thanks, and apologies for inundating the forum with help requests.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would make a mash with and/or ferment her layer pellets, just to the consistency of oatmeal.
That way you'll know she is getting a complete poultry ration.
Did the vet check for parasites? Read a fecal sample?
With an extremely thin keel, I would suspect parasites and get ready to worm her in case they find a species or two that she's loaded up with.

 

[Lorielus]

Thanks - I have already mashed the pellets but doesn't really seem to have encouraged her to eat any more.

Yes he did, but no sign of anything untoward, his opinion was that it's the swollen abdomen from the peritonitis that's made her relatively immobile so hasn't been eating much. She does get regular worm-control (vermx) pellets in with her food as well at d-earth and a little apple cider vinegar in the drinking water too.

Are there any other options (or combination of options) I can offer her to hopefully get her to eat more?

 

[chickens really]

Switch to a Grower finisher feed and try that. They don't require layer feed ever...all the extras are definitely having her want that instead of balanced nutrition.

 

[Lorielus]

Apologies, I'm looking for alternatives to pellets/crumb, rather than different types, she'll pick at pellets/crumb a little but doesn't seem to want to fill up on it.

Is there anything I can put together for her?

 

[GC-Raptor]

Buy a 5 lb bag of either one of these (available at TSC) and feed as a wet mash. . .
My hens get it as a treat during hot weather (with cold water), to keep egg production up.
I also fed it to a hen with impacted crop a couple of years ago. She's still around at 41 months old.
Mix with room temperature water. GC

 

[kerbotx]

Eggs. Raw egg yolks, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs - whichever she prefers. Fage brand 2% fat yogurt. Sav-A-Chick probiotics & electrolytes in her water.

* Side note: higher protein feeds seem to be tastier, at least to my birds - while layer feed is usually 16% protein, all others will be more, ie Meatbird, Chick Starter, All Flock, Starter/Grower, etc.

 

[Lorielus]

Thanks a lot, it that definitely ok - not too much protein?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

A high protein flock crumble lightly fermented could go a long way. I wouldn't worry about extra protein unless something's very wrong with her kidneys. In fact chances are good the extra calories will help put some weight back on her.

Eggs are also a really good source of balanced high calorie nutrition for your chickens. I feed raw eggs to healthy chickens but soft cook them for sick ones. I find soft foods are more popular.

A rooster booster or sav-a-chick or other vitamin mix in the water can also help.

 

[Lorielus]

Thanks again, that's really helpful