Chickens and cat food? Treats for molting?

[ShrekDawg]

I feed Flock Raiser to everyone all year, and it's fine as it is.  I also won't feed chicken to chickens, just because.  Cat food varies in quality and ingredients, and is meant for cats, so not balanced for chickens.  My birds will eat a bit if the barn cat leaves some in her dish, but that's it.  Game bird adult breeder ration makes more sense to me, if it's available where you live.  Extras really aren't needed if the base diet is good.  Mary

Thanks for all the info. I guess maybe I'll skip the cat food, not a huge deal to give it to another animal aha I'll have to see of I can find some game bird feed. And I'm sure the diet is probably fine, they seem to be doing well, I guess I just feel bad for them haha does adding anything extra speed it up or they just get through it when they get through it?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Mine get canned fish every Sunday.

I'm gonna try that instead of cat food i think. Like tuna or something? Or like whole canned fish? Mackerel or anchovies or something or?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Still haven't given them anything yet, haven't really been out there much today. But maybe tomorrow I'll try giving them some stuff

 

[ShrekDawg]

But the one girl is molting even more now, she's missing feathers from the front of her neck too or maybe a bit of the chest, i can't remember, instead of just the back/side of her neck. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow. Not because I think anything is wrong, I know she is just molting, but she looks like a Turken/naked neck LOL Meanwhile, the other one, my Barred Rock, the one who I said feathers were all over earlier this week and is how I knew they were molting, is not naked at all and the molt is barely noticeable besides the piles of feathers everywhere and looking a tiny bit more ragged than usual/down being out in some places. The funny thing is I haven't seen any black feathers (from the Australorp). It's funny how one could lose tons of feathers yet not be noticable and one could be half naked yet hardly any feathers in the run. And funny how they molt differently, some, like I'm assuming May the Barred Rock is doing, molt slowly, others like Beauty lose all their feathers at once

 

[drumstick diva]

Maybe some of your birds are eating the feathers. When they do so it's usually because they need more protein.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Maybe some of your birds are eating the feathers. When they do so it's usually because they need more protein.

I never really thought of that. I will have to look and see if there really are no feathers or if I just haven't been looking closely enough. How come they haven't eaten the BR feathers though? And if they need more protein, would the same suggestions work?

 

[azygous]

Maybe twice a week during molt, I treat my chickens to a little bit of dried cat food. They really go for it. I won't be giving it to them, however, after they complete molt. I figure right now they can use the extra protein. But it's a treat, not part of their regular diet.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Maybe twice a week during molt, I treat my chickens to a little bit of dried cat food. They really go for it. I won't be giving it to them, however, after they complete molt. I figure right now they can use the extra protein. But it's a treat, not part of their regular diet.

Thanks yeah I don't think I'd give it to them after molt. Maybe I could just give it to the ones molting?

 

[Folly's place]

As long as the diet is good, molt duration is more about genetics; oversupplying nutrients won't improve a bird who just does it slowly. This year one of my EE hens took two months (!!!) to complete her molt, which started early. Her hatchmate started six weeks later, and took barely one month. Same diet, etc, but there it is. My SS started very late, took maybe one month, and look good again. Mary

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Their favorite is Salmon, then tuna. Some liked the mackerel some didn't. They loved it when my neighbor brought over some leftover fish from his fishing trip.