animal fats/suet?

[dftkarin]

I have a small flock and an uninsulated coop and the chicken lowest on the pecking order is quite a bit thinner than the other birds. I try to have feed in multiple plces so she has access and I sometimes lock her alone in the coop for a few minutes with a bowl of high protein mix (tuna, yogurt and layer pellets mixed with warm water) to give her extra access to the good stuff. She also isn't welcome to sleep with the other chickens - they stick together but she is always apart from them. Its been 0 at night and all the chickens are fine but I wish I could increase the fat on this chicken and I wonder if getting her some beef suet might be a good thing to try. I donlt want to feed her so much cracked corn that she doesn't eat enough pellets. Would suet be a healthy concentrated energy way to give her a boost right now when its so cold?

 

[ozark hen]

We give our birds the lard from the packing house during winter from time to time. And of course a handful of cracked corn most cold nights

 

[LynneP]

My hens love the blocks of wild bird suet and eat a lot when the temp drops...

 

[shannonb1]

so bird suet is okay to give chickens?

gosh I learn alot whenever I'm on here.

 

[gkeesling]

when ever we have a cooked chicken, turkey, rabbit, etc. carcass that's left over after we've picked on it, I throw it out to the chickens and they clean it to a clean bone. Absolutely nothing left. I have also put bird suet out there. It's been amazing to me what chickens will eat. Their main diet, of course, is the laying crumbles, but it's always fun to throw other stuff out in the run from time to time.

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Just a suggestion, but perhaps lock her in with another low ranking hen and see if they can be friends about eating together... Poor girl, I hate it when one chicken is pushed out like that.

 

[Wifezilla]

That suet will be way healthier for her than extra corn. Suet will make her internal organs fatty while the suet will actually help her build healthy tissues and give her energy.

 

[dftkarin]

Quote:
Wait - which one will give her energy and help her build healthy tissue? And can youtell me why that is? Fat vs. Carbs? Is that why?

 

[wing it]

I feed my chickens quail suet they love it . So far nothing bad has happend. sounds like it may help pump up your skinny hen. good luck ps more here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=280057

 

[Wifezilla]

which one will give her energy and help her build healthy tissue?

Essential fatty acids...as in animal based non-hydroginated fats.

And can youtell me why that is? Fat vs. Carbs? Is that why?

Yup. that's it.​