Chicken has runny nose, serious? Help please??

[speckledhen]

Three way scratch is not an everyday main diet. It's for treats, for training them to come home to the shaking of the can, etc, but it is not made for their daily main diet. They need layer feed, which is about 16% protein, whereas your 3 grain scratch is only about 8% protein, not enough nutrition if you expect eggs from them.

You need to tell the feed store what you want and do not let them tell you. Nine times out of ten, they'll lead you astray to the detriment of your hens.

 

[craftymama86]

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Well that's disappointing. My DH had chickens when he was growing up but that's been quite a long time ago, lol. He has been open to what I've told him I've learned from on here though. I'll let him know we need to get them proper feed. So what exactly do we need to buy them? I think I need to check out the book my DH bought, lol. I kinda just put it to the side recently....

 

[jjthink]

This:

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The nutritional supplement will help bolster them after being on a substandard diet (not your fault - much misinformation out there. When I first had chickens show up in my yard 15 years ago the feed stores told me scratch was the diet for chickens and at the time I believed them - wrong, wrong, wrong)