Are my hens too skinny

[Ext 918]

How often do you give those treats?

2 to 3 times a week for the treats. During the extreme heat it was the chilled veggies to help them cool down.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Nutrena NatureWise 17%, (they don't love it), mixed with Dumor Organic layer 16% and Dumor Egg Max 16%.

What's the level % of calcium per brand?

 

[MysteryChicken]

2 to 3 times a week for the treats. During the extreme heat it was the chilled veggies to help them cool down.

Reduce to one time a week, as too much can reduce what they supposed to be getting from their feed, & make fat birds.

 

[Ext 918]

Oh thanks, I missed that!

Agreed @Ext 918, 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.

I had no idea that was the bare minimum. These girls have homes no matter their laying rate.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Right, I agree that they need more protein.

If you’ve already got a lot of feed on hand, you can continue using it up and provide animal (not plant-based) protein in addition. Ground beef, tuna, sardines (ugh), scrambled eggs, deli turkey (shh, don’t tell) - an ounce or so a day.

And since the vet recommended protein +fat, you could also offer dried mealworms and black soldier fly larvae.

 

[Ext 918]

What's the level % of calcium per brand?

Minimum calcium appears to be 3.5%. I also offer oyster shell in its own dish for them to consume as they like.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

- it’s a lot simpler, and generally cheaper, to use low-calcium/ high-protein feed with calcium on the side, instead of high-calcium/ low protein feed with protein on the side.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Right, I agree that they need more protein.

If you’ve already got a lot of feed on hand, you can continue using it up and provide animal (not plant-based) protein in addition. Ground beef, tuna, sardines (ugh), scrambled eggs, deli turkey (shh, don’t tell) - an ounce or so a day.

And since the vet recommended protein +fat, you could also offer dried mealworms and black soldier fly larvae.

Too much fat can be a bad thing. It can be balanced with just the protein source as meat also contains fat.

The feed I feed my birds has animal protein in it. But I also sometimes give mine leftover chicken, or turkey.

 

[Ext 918]

Right, I agree that they need more protein.

If you’ve already got a lot of feed on hand, you can continue using it up and provide animal (not plant-based) protein in addition. Ground beef, tuna, sardines (ugh), scrambled eggs, deli turkey (shh, don’t tell) - an ounce or so a day.

And since the vet recommended protein +fat, you could also offer dried mealworms and black soldier fly larvae.

I have plenty dried worms on hand. I just have to reconstitute them and they go mad for them.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Minimum calcium appears to be 3.5%. I also offer oyster shell in its own dish for them to consume as they like.

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