Are They Eating Too Much Calcium?

[FrostRanger]

I would say back off on the calcium. That would include eggshells. I think I lost one of my Sussex hens due to excess calcium. She ended up with a mass on her side (where all the organs are.

That sounds more like cancer than excess calcium, sorry for your loss in any case

 

[2 Acres]

This is Stryper (the one going through a hard molt) She found corn. I did a little research and it seems roundup corn isn't good for chickens.

 

[2 Acres]

View attachment 4244101View attachment 4244101
This is Stryper (the one going through a hard molt) She found corn. I did a little research and it seems roundup corn isn't good for chickens.

So I guess I go to bagged corn.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

So I guess I go to bagged corn.

Why are you giving her corn, beyond the amount that is already in her layer feed?

Letting her eat just corn means that she will eat less of the full-nutrition balanced feed. Aka “spoiling her appetite.”

 

[2 Acres]

Yeah... I was trying to give her a treat. Was hoping the molt would progress faster.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Yeah... I was trying to give her a treat. Was hoping the molt would progress faster.

From what I understand, it’s protein specifically that they need to generate new feathers, not simply calories.

But I hear ya, seeing our chickens suffer isn’t an easy thing.

 

[2 Acres]

I did not know of the fat content, thank you! I do check their weight and keel bone once a week, so it never occurred to me that the treats were too much even though I knew better in the back of my head. I just want to spoil them, but I much prefer a long-living chicken.

Spoil them with carrots, baked potatoes plain yogurt and the like. They'll love the yogurt (trust me they like human food too).

 

[2 Acres]

Spoil them with carrots, baked potatoes plain yogurt and the like. They'll love the yogurt (trust me they like human food too). Especially grapes.

 

[NatJ]

Spoil them with carrots, baked potatoes plain yogurt and the like. They'll love the yogurt (trust me they like human food too).

Chickens usually like wet mash, too. It's just their normal feed with water added, but they act like it tastes really great!

Nutritionally it's the same as when they eat the same feed dry, so it is a good choice when you want the fun of giving the chickens a treat, but don't want to worry about whether any particular treat is "healthy" or whether you are giving "too many" treats.

 

[HensJoy]

WOW! This was a very well presented discussion. I have only four adult girls and based on this thread, I've been giving them way to much in the line of treats. I have two auto feeders which contain 17% complete layer feed. And then every day, I provide two pie pans with about two total cups of treats between them, which consist of chopped lettuce, dry cat food, corn and meal worm scratch, sunflower seeds and sprinkle red pepper flakes and dyed and ground up egg shells over the top. Plus a hanging 3" long corn cob. Every day they are let out in a large enclosure and then locked up every evening. We live in the high desert and the ground vegetation is sparse, but there is some which they spend there days in. There are still enjoying dirt baths every day even is our cold winter weather. My main concern in looking into this thread was the amount of calcium which we are feeding them, but I have now come away with a concern that I have been providing two many treats. I would value any advise or suggestions. Thank much.