Chicken with bony wings?!

[LindsayDarling]

Not all treats are the same.

High calories treats (like scratch and mealworms) are more likely to cause health problems (fat chickens).

Low calorie treats that are mostly water (like watermelon or cucumber) are less likely to be a problem.

If the extra treats in hot weather are mostly water, they are probably not a big deal.

A "treat" that is good at any season: chicken food with water added. For some reason, chickens like it better than the same food dry. You can use warm water in the winter so it's a warm mash, or cold water in the summer so it's a cool mash. When you make this with their usual food, it is just as good for them as the food you made it with, so there is no need to limit it. You can do it with chick crumbles, layer pellets, or any similar food: they all fall apart within a few minutes of getting wet.

Awesome! Thank you for the tips! I do watermelon and frozen berries when its hot. It gets up to 100 here in Nor-Cal in the summer I do worms like once a week or every other week. Is that safe? I am prob going overboard w the scratch I lay it down once everyday, scattered in dirt

 

[NatJ]

Awesome! Thank you for the tips! I do watermelon and frozen berries when its hot. It gets up to 100 here in Nor-Cal in the summer I do worms like once a week or every other week. Is that safe? I am prob going overboard w the scratch I lay it down once everyday, scattered in dirt

A common recommendation is to limit treats to about 1 Tablespoon per chicken, per day, of all treats combined (this would include things like scratch & mealworms.)

Personally, I would not expect trouble from the watermelon and the berries, even if you give more of them.

 

[LindsayDarling]

A common recommendation is to limit treats to about 1 Tablespoon per chicken, per day, of all treats combined (this would include things like scratch & mealworms.)

Personally, I would not expect trouble from the watermelon and the berries, even if you give more of them.

Thank you

 

[BDutch]

Welcome @LindsayDarling
I’m not sure but if they are outside from dawn til dusk, the space cant be the issue. And if they can find food outside , + they can eat from the pellet feed you give them, the food is probably no issue.
So I think a horny young rooster or misbehaviour of some flock members is a real possibility. I would go outside to see what the chickens are doing.

You may want to cut down on treats, as they shouldn't make up more than 10% of their diet.

Depends on who you ask and the quality of the feed. Free range chickens is very different from imprisoned chickens, or feeding during winter when there not much food to find.

 

[LindsayDarling]

Welcome @LindsayDarling
I’m not sure but if they are outside from dawn til dusk, the space cant be the issue. And if they can find food outside , + they can eat from the pellet feed you give them, the food is probably no issue.
So I think a horny young rooster or misbehaviour of some flock members is a real possibility. I would go outside to see what the chickens are doing.


Depends on who you ask and the quality of the feed. Free range chickens is very different from imprisoned chickens, or feeding during winter when there not much food to find.

Theyre outside all day! They do forage. N let me tell you I never thought having chickens was gonna consume my life like it has Is it normal to not want to leave the house because you rather hang w chickens? This may need to be a whole other thread I think its the rooster n bullying...n possibly molting? No lice or mites.

 

[TwoCrows]

Is it normal to not want to leave the house because you rather hang w chickens?

Totally normal, and don't let non-chicken keeping people tell you otherwise!

 

[triciayoung]

Not all treats are the same.

High calories treats (like scratch and mealworms) are more likely to cause health problems (fat chickens).

Low calorie treats that are mostly water (like watermelon or cucumber) are less likely to be a problem.

If the extra treats in hot weather are mostly water, they are probably not a big deal.

A "treat" that is good at any season: chicken food with water added. For some reason, chickens like it better than the same food dry. You can use warm water in the winter so it's a warm mash, or cold water in the summer so it's a cool mash. When you make this with their usual food, it is just as good for them as the food you made it with, so there is no need to limit it. You can do it with chick crumbles, layer pellets, or any similar food: they all fall apart within a few minutes of getting wet.

Agreed. Also, when it is hot, my chickens think that crushed ice is the best treat in the world.

 

[triciayoung]

Awesome! Thank you for the tips! I do watermelon and frozen berries when its hot. It gets up to 100 here in Nor-Cal in the summer I do worms like once a week or every other week. Is that safe? I am prob going overboard w the scratch I lay it down once everyday, scattered in dirt

I do mealworms everyday, just not that many.

 

[Skipper Carnes]

Please don't worry about that. It is not bones, just feather stems from a molt. Nothing to worry about. God bless your day!

 

[creagin26]

Is it like that right on her back? Roosters could be breeding with her, also it seems like she’s getting bullied and picked on maybe ?