Am I doing something wrong??

[Ragna]

I
have a beautiful road island red chicken but she's injured and has hardly a beak
She has a hard time eating solid things or can't eat them at all. It's kind of sad to see the little chickens run up and steal the worms she worked so hard to find I had been feeding her poultry crumbles and it sounds like a snack but it was really just crumbled/semi powdered chicken feed with all the delicious nutrients. I ran out of that stuff and I fed her potato flakes for a few days and switched back to corn meal which she previously LOVED. I give about a handful of soft chicken feed pellets but they're only soft because the rain got them... So I tried to let them air out... As far as I can tell some of them dried up but some are still moist and there isn't any mold or anything on it so I figured it was still good... I don't have a car only a motorcycle so it's hard to transport OR impossible to transport a bag like that... But I feed a handful of that for my chicken with a beak and I give enough corn meal for the other girl to stick her beak far enough in to grab some. I waste a lot that way but this morning I gave her left over cornmeal from last night and I worry now because I hope there was enough for her to eat it. I think she can get it with her tounge too. Anyways I spend time with them outside 30 minutes to an hour helping them dig for worms and snuggle with me all the time so I sort of have a bond with them... I don't always have energy since I work outside in Florida but I check on them ever hour or so to make sure they don't need anything. A few times my road island red will intercept me as I'm leaving through the back yard and she'll cry and try to get my attention. I had noticed that they spilled their water so I gave her some new water which they started drinking from. But she also does it in the morning sometimes... I leave them water and food all the time so they could be eating at night that I'm not aware of but when I give them new food in the morning they don't really seem to be hungry and I feel like something is missing that I'm now aware of... She just seems to be sad or like she wants something from me and it breaks my heart that I don't know what. Currently because of vets instructions they are inside during the day because one of my girls was sick. And it's 90 something degrees in Florida, plus I didn't want her to get lonely. I release them in the backyard when I get home from work and let them do whatever they want from that point on... I know my girl loves me and likes to follow me around but I'm not sure if I'm missing something!! I feed them vitamins to make up feeding them corn meal for the past week but they just never want to eat ANYTHING I give them... They'll bite spinach or poke the apple sauce... But they only really ever eat corn meal or feed... Could she be trying to get my attention because she's hungry?? Is she sad about something?? What is going onnnn?? It's breaking my heart! She just keeps coming up to me and making this noise and I have no idea what is going on I make such a conscious effort to take care of her if you have any questions I'll be more than happy to answer or give more details I just really want her to be happy

 

[TheTwoRoos]

What noise is she making?
Try offering scratch as well but not a lot,maybe a afternoon snack/dinner before bed.

 

[Ragna]

What noise is she making?
Try offering scratch as well but not a lot,maybe a afternoon snack/dinner before bed.

She makes noises like what you hear throughout this post but sometimes louder and she'll follow me around and stuff I don't really know how to interpret it and I don't want her to think I'm hurting her intentuonally if she's needing something...
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjkrli6jST9/

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Could you do it from YouTube I don’t have Instagram

 

[BirdGal]

Most likely she is hungry. Does she feel heavy when you pick her up or light ? Not sure how well she can eat,but have you tried thawed out frozen green peas to add into diet?

 

[BirdGal]

also thinking about hydration, possibly if you can raise the level of the water container as so it is easier to keep in her damaged beak when trying to drink.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Feed comes in small bags too. I also have a motorcycle and could easily fit small bags.

Chickens don't eat at night.

Offer her wetted chick feed. The consistency of cooked oatmeal works well.
Yes I said chick feed. The cornmeal you have been giving is extremely low in protein. The chick feed will help.
Boiled and chopped eggs contain good nutrients for them too.
Canned mackerel is a goid protein booster. About a tablespoon a day does wonders.
You can give small amounts of cooked chopped meats with no added seasonings to boost nutrition too.

For birds with beak issues a deep dish of food works best. At least 3" deep will allow then to scoop food with the lower beak since they cannot pick up small things.

Oh and feed that has been rained in can contain dangerous amounts of bacteria and mold that you cannot see.

 

[BirdGal]

Also be careful of feeding wet bagged animal feed as it can go bad fast,especially in hot climate. But possibly your hen would eat fresh moistened feed crumbled? That would be most nutritional correct and easiest if hen would eat dry crumbled feed,or next level powder in blender,or moisten any bagged crumbs or pellets until she gets back to normal. Feed injured hen first and then give leftovers to others so you don't waste.

 

[Ragna]

also thinking about hydration, possibly if you can raise the level of the water container as so it is easier to keep in her damaged beak when trying to drink.

Oh no she's a very light bird... It appears that she can eat the corn meal though.... But it makes me wonder why she isn't specifically going for the corn meal... She kinda just looks at me... But sometimes she'll start eating like crazy... She can pick up solid things but I doubt she would be able to eat anything that wasn't a powdery food... I usually keep the Corn meal plentiful which I didn't do this morning as I was in a run but I tilted the bowl so she could get a better angle to eat it..

 

[coach723]

Yes, the beak makes it more difficult for her to eat and drink, but they adapt well with a little help. Raising feeders and waterers to the height of her back can make it easier for her to scoop with her lower beak. Using deeper water and feeding dishes can make it easier for her to drink and eat. She is always going to have difficulty picking things up from ground level. Making a mash with her feed mixed with water can make it easier for her to eat. I would stop the corn meal, that is carbs, not enough protein, not enough nutrition. Chickens LOVE corn and will eat it instead of their feed. If they fill up on corn they will not eat the feed. You can buy small bags of feed, or mail order it and have it delivered. Keep treats of any kind to healthier choices, and to 10% or less of her total diet.