At the risk of sounding dumb...

[Chris09]

Rice is only 8 to 14 percent protein (store bought rice is only around 8%)
That's not going to help up the protein any.

Chris

 

[Chris09]

Thanks for the website and for the pumpkin seed information. I will look into that. I tried to give my girls slices of pumpkins with out the seeds last fall and they look at me like I was CRAZY. Now the sweet potatoes they ate...

I do have 2 hens that are skinny and one that lost some feathers in a different tractor so I just sprinkled the coops with some DE. Have read that dry cat food is a good source of protein, any other suggestions for increasing the protein? I only have 8 chickens and do not want to buy an entire bag of higher protein feed if I can help it. They eat a national brand of layer crumbles now.

You could get a small bag of Manna Pro Calf Manna and mix into there feed. Just mix it to the suggested rate on the bag.

Chris

 

[Pleased by peep]

Did not think of the watermelon. Sometimes I give them some layer mashed with a small amount of plain yogurt and a dash of buttermilk to cool them off. Like the warm pasta idea for winter.

I regularly give the girls manna pro chicken supplement and a very low rate to help with shells and better feathers.

Lots of good ideas here!

 

[Indigosands]

ok I'm going to sound even dumber than dumb but I thought you couldn't eat uncooked pumpkin seeds because they had some kind of toxicity? Wouldn't that be bad for chickens too?