boney chickens ?

[Jacklynn]

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice ! I'm not offended in any way, I now know to not listen to what my friend said about the whole matter.

I'm going to be adding to their diet. I feel so bad. I really should have researched it.

I will keep eveyone updated on their progress.

 

[Jacklynn]

I just went out band gave them some rice, cooked pork and bread. We are going to pick something up at the feed store today.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Well, in a way you did. It just turns out your source was not so good. Don't beat yourself up. You should be able to get this turned around, and they will be grateful!

 

[jeslewmazer]

Everyone on here is giving you good advice. You should not beat your self up or it. If they are really thin, you might want to invest in cooked rice, bread, etc. to feed along with your new feed. Personally, I sometimes get the premixed feed from the feed store but I prefer to mix my own. I have many chickens and this has proven to be the best for them and my pocket.

Mine do free range, hence they don't eat all the lay pellets sometimes from my mix, but there is a balance. As the seasons change so do the mix, but slightly. Sometimes I mix in different feeds and mine almost always love the change.....but if they don't

I won't use it again.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
I should have suggested a more gentle transition to more complete food - like the rice and maybe some yogurt and fruit.
I have done some of my own mixes and I know there are some recipes on the web but 'jeslewmazer' I would be interested in hearing more of yours if you don't mind. My feed store doesn't carry all the grains that I see in some of the recipes. I know if I have to ship some my cost will go way up. Other chicken people in my area and I are working on starting a co-op.

I'm also curious Jacklynn how they responded to the rice and pork you gave them.
Are they layer age? and if so are you getting eggs and how many?
When they start laying if not already, give oyster shell free choice in a separate container from their feed and they'll use as much as they need to maintain good shells and their own bone structure.
Please do keep us informed on your flock's progress.

 

[GAchick]

In addition to all of the excellent feeding advice that has been posted, I'd like to add..... And when you feel their breasts, don't compare them to the hormone-ally plumped up 'store-bought' birds. They will not be the same. But your birds will have oh-so-much flavor, compared to the store-bought bird.

 

[chicken_crazy93]

If it were me, I would go to a good mill & pick up some gamebird feed. It's 12-22% protein where I live, I get the 17% & I only use one mill for my feed. I go every three weeks as it's two counties away from me. After I got them on a better feed for about a week I would worm them good with WAZINE & wait 8-10 days & follow up with ZIMECTRIN GOLD. I hang a head of lettuce or cabbage in my banty pen & my breed pen. Also, in the winter months I hang one out for my free range birds. I have found that chickens that are not gettin enough nutrients are more prone to worms & sickness. The game bird mix has whole corn in it so I don't give any other corn. I do give my birds salt free sardines, tuna, salmon etc.... as treats about once a week along with bananas, oatmeal, scrambled eggs with crushed up dried egg shells, yogurt etc... every 3-5 days. Everybody has their own way of carin for their animals like I only feed my dog a feed with some type of meat, chicken, fish etc.. meal as the first ingredient but my buddy feeds his dogs whatever is on sale & it usually is a very low grade feed with corn & such as the first ingredients. Have I suggested him feed a better feed, yes. Have I mentioned it again, no, LOL. There is soooo much great information on here & I would just do some readin & feed what I thought was best for my animals. Good luck & let us know what changes you see.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
I should have suggested a more gentle transition to more complete food - like the rice and maybe some yogurt and fruit.
I have done some of my own mixes and I know there are some recipes on the web but 'jeslewmazer' I would be interested in hearing more of yours if you don't mind. My feed store doesn't carry all the grains that I see in some of the recipes. I know if I have to ship some my cost will go way up. Other chicken people in my area and I are working on starting a co-op.

I'm also curious Jacklynn how they responded to the rice and pork you gave them.
Are they layer age? and if so are you getting eggs and how many?
When they start laying if not already, give oyster shell free choice in a separate container from their feed and they'll use as much as they need to maintain good shells and their own bone structure.
Please do keep us informed on your flock's progress.

I know everyone feeds differently depending on the chicken or persons needs. It is a little long and drawn out to really explain. In my mix I basically use a combination of (preferably) whole corn (cracked works ok), lay pellets, and floating catfish food. That is not always all. It all depends on what my chickens show me that they need or something I want to try. There are times I use BOSS (but prefer wild bird seed), or alfalfa pellets (cheaper than rabbit food but same principle), oats (have used the seed and the race horse kind not much of a difference), calf manna, wheat, and there might of been something else but I can't remember. I don't use everything anymore. Right now I am feeding more corn because of all the rain/sleet. Due to the weather and free ranging I currently use a mix with about 57% whole corn, 29% Lay Pellets, 11% Floating catfish food, and 3% Alfalfa pellets. I know I might get bashed for saying that I have 57% corn in my mix, but I base my mixture on what the birds need. Happy and Healthy birds leads to happy me. As they get used to the cold the mix will change and so will the % of each. Ah! I remember one thing I add sometimes to my mix and that is oyster shells, I don't like to free choose because mine don't really worry with it unless it is in the feed. Every time I try to offer free choose they just poop in it, I think they think it looks like cat litter that way....Go figure.

 

[Jacklynn]

Thank you everyone for all the great advice ! I appreciate it, I really do.

Now I took a look at the flyer for our feed store and they sell the following for poultry feed:
- scratch and peck
- chicken starter (my chicks get this and are thriving on it, I know my older birds can't live on this)
- layer
- grow/finish

I have two mini flocks.
Flock one - one 2-3 year old rosecomb rooster and four 8-12 month pullets/hens. They are not laying yet.

Flock two - one 7 month old bantam cochin roo, three 4 month old cochin pullets and 3 7 month old cochin pullets. Apparently the 7 month olds were laying before I got them.

Flock one does live with four rabbits, meaning they get rabbit pellets aswell.

Now my feed that they are getting now also has oats and other seeds in it too.

My chickens will be getting free range during the day after the snow all melts.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Good deal.

Some chickens like the snow. Mine does but it does not snow here that often.