Best food for what?

[AChickenBoi]

So I have a roo with scissor beak (He takes up a portion of every thread I post), and I realized he is thin, even for a rooster. My mom also tells me he is rather bony and should be fed more. I’ve been hand feeding him a mix of foods at least 4 times a day, and I have felt a very small change in his weight, which is good! I’m just wondering if there are better ways I could be doing this. He gets fed a wide range of treats and goodies that the girls go crazy over like mealworms, corn, greenbeans, pears, etc. I even gave him yogurt and wet cheerios this one time, but he got more on his face and feathers than his mouth before knocking over the bowl lol. I also figured he needs to eat more calcium since he recently got a beak injury.

What are the safest/best foods to give for healthy weight gain?

What are the safest/best foods to give for an increase in calcium?

What foods are in general the best and easiest to deliver vitamins and nutrients to a chicken’s body?

I’ve looked up a bunch of foods for people to eat that would solve these problems, but I didn’t find something for chickens, so I wanted to ask around here ;w;

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

He's best eating a balanced ration, either a non medicated starter grower or an All Flock ration. Moisten it so it's easy to eat and offer it often. Adding other stuff can lead to deficiencies. How old is he? Why do you want to increase his calcium? You don't want a fat bird which is unhealthy. What breed is he?

 

[AChickenBoi]

He's best eating a balanced ration, either a non medicated starter grower or an All Flock ration. Moisten it so it's easy to eat and offer it often. Adding other stuff can lead to deficiencies. How old is he? Why do you want to increase his calcium? You don't want a fat bird which is unhealthy. What breed is he?

Blue is about a year old, and since he recently cracked his beak pretty badly, I figured that giving him a boost of calcium will help it grow back stronger so he won’t get hurt like that again. He is a bantam silkie, and I just want him to be at a healthy weight, not overweight, but not underweight either (I want to weigh him so I can properly know his weight, but I don’t know where the scale is. I just know that I can feel his bones when I pick him up, and he is very light)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You can feel the keel bone on his chest. It should be prominent, but not sharp feeling. He's young so he will be lighter than an older bird.

Beaks are made of keratin which is protein based. Feeding a higher protein ration may help. Calcium won't, and could cause problems.

 

[AChickenBoi]

You can feel the keel bone on his chest. It should be prominent, but not sharp feeling. He's young so he will be lighter than an older bird.

Beaks are made of keratin which is protein based. Feeding a higher protein ration may help. Calcium won't, and could cause problems.

Oh! Thank you! That’s super helpful ;w;!