Are my hens too skinny

[Ext 918]

This is too much calcium. Yes hens can get too much.

Too much calcium in the feed itself or too much to offer them a side dish to take as they want?

 

[Ext 918]

Is there a high protein feed that either of you recommend?

 

[Altairsky]

You can keep them on their current feed and add a protein source 3 times a week, like minced beef, organ meat, canned fish or whatever is cheaper for you.
When you finish your current feed, it's best to switch to an all flock that has minimum 18% protein, better 20%, with oyster shell free choice as calcium source. Chickens also love egg shells and snail shells as calcium sources.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Too much calcium in the feed itself or too much to offer them a side dish to take as they want?

Both. You mix different layer brands together, & offer oyster shell on top of it.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Is there a high protein feed that either of you recommend?

I feed Dumor 20% Chick Starter Grower Feed to all my birds. It has animal protein in it. I just offer Oyster Shells on the side as a calcium source for the hens to regulate their own calcium intake.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ext 918 said:
Minimum calcium appears to be 3.5%.

This is too much calcium. Yes hens can get too much.

Too much calcium for laying hens when the normal recommendation is around 4% calcium? Really? Honestly?

@Ext 918 don't let them scare you. Since you are providing oyster shell on the side you do not have a calcium issue. The hens will self-regulate.

16% is used by commercial producers to provide minimum nutrition when they expect to cull the hens at 12-18 months when they can no longer crank out an egg per day. Not a good guideline.

Commercial producers feed 16% because that is the most efficient for their production hens. The production hens are specially bred to have small bodies so more of what they eat can be used to produce eggs instead of having to use it for body maintenance. A higher protein level can cause them medical issues, especially related to their egg producing system. So 16% protein should be considered the maximum safe content for those chickens. It is certainly not abuse.

Your RIR's, Production Reds, or whatever they are are not the commercial laying chickens. Those are two different things. It will not hurt to feed them an 18% or 20% protein diet.

I feed mine 16% protein but they also forage for a good part of their diet. I don't know what their average percent protein per day is but from what I see in their crop when I butcher them I do not think it is really high. Mine lay a lot of eggs, go broody and hatch chicks, have no problems flying up and down to and from the roosts, and act like chickens. They are very healthy.

Yours are 6-1/2 months old, still pretty young. They look healthy to me. They will still put on weight and round themselves out as they age. Yeah, they are still growing. I personally do not think you are doing anything wrong or have any issues.

Good luck!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Ext 918 said:
Minimum calcium appears to be 3.5%.


Too much calcium for laying hens when the normal recommendation is around 4% calcium? Really? Honestly?

@Ext 918 don't let them scare you. Since you are providing oyster shell on the side you do not have a calcium issue. The hens will self-regulate.


Commercial producers feed 16% because that is the most efficient for their production hens. The production hens are specially bred to have small bodies so more of what they eat can be used to produce eggs instead of having to use it for body maintenance. A higher protein level can cause them medical issues, especially related to their egg producing system. So 16% protein should be considered the maximum safe content for those chickens. It is certainly not abuse.

Your RIR's, Production Reds, or whatever they are are not the commercial laying chickens. Those are two different things. It will not hurt to feed them an 18% or 20% protein diet.

I feed mine 16% protein but they also forage for a good part of their diet. I don't know what their average percent protein per day is but from what I see in their crop when I butcher them I do not think it is really high. Mine lay a lot of eggs, go broody and hatch chicks, have no problems flying up and down to and from the roosts, and act like chickens. They are very healthy.

Yours are 6-1/2 months old, still pretty young. They look healthy to me. They will still put on weight and round themselves out as they age. Yeah, they are still growing. I personally do not think you are doing anything wrong or have any issues.

Good luck!

I said too much calcium because they're mixing Different Layer feeds together, plus they're giving oyster shells as well on top of it.

 

[Beau plus penny]

Hoover sold them as RIR. I call them my Rhode Island Redd'ish'View attachment 4214050

mine look like that too

 

[Ext 918]

mine look like that too

Gorgeous girls