Confused

[NatJ]

Thank you so much. Yes. Sorry cracked corn was probably the wrong term. Its a laying feed that was formulated at a farmers elevator.

That should be fine.

Yellow legs are nothing to worry about.
And I do not think the food could cause the red butt you were asking about, either.

Ill ask them though. Maybe we should switch. Ill see.

If it's formulated as a layer feed, it should be fine.
You could look at the nutrition label, or if you don't have a label you could ask them.

A complete feed should have about 15% to 20% protein.

Plain corn will never have that much protein, so just checking the protein level will tell most of what you need to know about the feed.

 

[thedistractr]

Thank you so much. Yes. Sorry cracked corn was probably the wrong term. Its a laying feed that was formulated at a farmers elevator. Ill ask them though. Maybe we should switch. Ill see.
ITs good to know it could be normal. I will check

 

[thedistractr]

That should be fine.

Yellow legs are nothing to worry about.
And I do not think the food could cause the red butt you were asking about, either.


If it's formulated as a layer feed, it should be fine.
You could look at the nutrition label, or if you don't have a label you could ask them.

A complete feed should have about 15% to 20% protein.

Plain corn will never have that much protein, so just checking the protein level will tell most of what you need to know about the feed.

I called and asked because I wasnt sure. They said It is a 15.5% protein with 2.75% fat. It has ground corn, soy bean meal, fre flo limestone, methionine, Dical phosphate, oyster shell, soy Oil, chlorine chloride, and a poultry premix. Thats good right?

 

[thedistractr]

I would double check for pests. Sometimes one can be heavily infected and others barely have any. The red skin could be anything, but just because her vent is pink doesn't mean she doesn't have vent gleet. She does have a dirty bum. Vent gleet has a yeasty smell to it. However, sometimes hens just have a dirty bum. I usually cut out all treats and only feed them their feed when I see a bum like that. The bright red skin can be anything as well. Sometimes it reflects a bigger issue and sometimes it just happens. I had one lose feathers and have red skin, but it was the roost irritating her. When she got moved to a new coop with a different roost, she cleared up. Once she molted, her feathers came back.

okay. I will try to check. I need to hold her and look. She really doesn't like being held. Ill clean out the shavings in her pen and see if that helps. I wonder if it could be an allergy to pine shavings??

 

[thedistractr]

Corn is candy for chickens. Not much in the way of nutrition. What else do you feed, including any treats?

Can you get some Starter/Grower feed? Or an All Flock? I suspect she, and your other chickens, might be lacking in nutrition generally, and protein specifically. Making eggs takes a lot of protein, and so does regrowing feathers.

If you switch to either of the feeds I mentioned, be sure to put out some oyster shell for calcium. Either of those feeds can be fed to all your chickens, all the time. The ones who aren't laying will ignore the oyster shell, and the ones who need it will take what they need.

I called about the feed because I wasn't sure. Its a layer feed. It is a 15.5% protein with 2.75% fat. It has ground corn, soy bean meal, fre flo limestone, methionine, Dical phosphate, oyster shell, soy Oil, chlorine chloride, and a poultry premix.

 

[NatJ]

I called and asked because I wasnt sure. They said It is a 15.5% protein with 2.75% fat. It has ground corn, soy bean meal, fre flo limestone, methionine, Dical phosphate, oyster shell, soy Oil, chlorine chloride, and a poultry premix. Thats good right?

That sounds about right to me.

I'm not a feed expert, but that's about the list I usually see on bags of feed.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

okay. I will try to check. I need to hold her and look. She really doesn't like being held. Ill clean out the shavings in her pen and see if that helps. I wonder if it could be an allergy to pine shavings??

Most hens don't want to be held, but I find a soothing voice usually helps. Also, if you check at night using a headlamp - your hands are free, she's easier to grab off the roost, and it's easier to see because your headlamp will be the only light.
Pine shavings are used by almost every one. Is she sleeping in the shavings? Honestly, I've not heard of hens having allergies. I'm not sure there are diagnostic tools for that, but I guess you never know.

 

[Sally PB]

Also, if you check at night using a headlamp - your hands are free, she's easier to grab off the roost, and it's easier to see because your headlamp will be the only light

My headlamp has both a white light, and a red light. I use the red when I need to do anything with chickens at night. They can't see me, they just know something is there. A reassuring voice helps too.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

My headlamp has both a white light, and a red light. I use the red when I need to do anything with chickens at night. They can't see me, they just know something is there. A reassuring voice helps too.

In addition to the led and the red light, mine also has a green light.

 

[Sally PB]

mine also has a green light.

Do you have a specific use for that? It sounds cool, and Christmas-y.