Cream Legbars

[Fire Ant Farm]

Has anyone else had issues with their CLs being fussy eaters? Or are mine just intermittently being drama queens?

(I swear, they're cats...)

- Ant Farm

 

[ChicKat]

Has anyone else had issues with their CLs being fussy eaters? Or are mine just intermittently being drama queens?

(I swear, they're cats...)

- Ant Farm

Ohhh yeah!
but it seems all my chickens except Isbars are or ahve been picky eaters.

When I first gave my first chickens scratch (when everyone said scratch is chicken candy) the looked at me and then looked at the scratch and said - what's this?? -- Perhaps the bag I had bought was very old?

Mine wouldn't eat Manna Pro Calf Manna - it is in the Dragon Lady's fabulous formula for raising her prize winners, mine wouldn't eat poultry conditioner, feather fixer, that new peletized wormer (rooster booster multi-wormer triple action) -- So end up either giving away bags of stuff...or keeping it as a back up if I ever run out. They wont eat nurtina and they won't eat LoneStar...

They know what they like (meal worms, grass hoppers, fresh greens, Mexican restaurant left overs (TexMex around here of course)-- and Purina feed. They like sunflower seeds-- sometimes - they have to be fresh -- some bags from the store are and some aren't, they will eat race horse oats, oat meal and rice and corn)

Later I gave them scratch, and now they love it. I use Manna Pro for chicks and chicks will eat LoneStar... LoneStar chick feed is higher in protein.... They will eat that Nutrena Feather Fixer now....

Over the summer they didn't eat much -- but now I can't keep their feed dishes filled (molt -- they need more feed)

Just now

 

[ChicKat]

One person I heard of used orthodontic rubberbands at the chick stages.

If you are doing lots of birds banding can be problematic but Ive found that its pretty easy to have zip bands last for weeks if you are careful even on chicks


When I was weighing my chicks weekly I would check the bands and change as needed. As they are older the bands can be looser and do not require changing very much at all.

In breeding keeping careful watch and good records is essential to getting the results you want.

Im fairly convinced that separating boys and girls at 8 weeks and feeding separately does help. Giving them and early higher protein diet seems to help their development quite a bit.

Nutrition for the early chick development seems to be a key factor.

Yep, and I think that nutrition is important life-long. I think the more they eat and drink the larger and more frequent the eggs, and you are right that they need good feed.

If I have a hatch that I know the parents from -- such as only one male from a certain pair and all the others that hatch then from another pair -- I will only band the one. If I have 3- females and 1 male -- and I would need to tell the females apart for some reason -- I figure the male is already permanently identified in that cohort. -- Maybe that is what Fire Ant Farm meant by keeping track without needing to mark them.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Ohhh yeah!
but it seems all my chickens except Isbars are or ahve been picky eaters.

When I first gave my first chickens scratch (when everyone said scratch is chicken candy) the looked at me and then looked at the scratch and said - what's this?? -- Perhaps the bag I had bought was very old?

Mine wouldn't eat Manna Pro Calf Manna - it is in the Dragon Lady's fabulous formula for raising her prize winners, mine wouldn't eat poultry conditioner, feather fixer, that new peletized wormer (rooster booster multi-wormer triple action) -- So end up either giving away bags of stuff...or keeping it as a back up if I ever run out. They wont eat nurtina and they won't eat LoneStar...

They know what they like (meal worms, grass hoppers, fresh greens, Mexican restaurant left overs (TexMex around here of course)-- and Purina feed. They like sunflower seeds-- sometimes - they have to be fresh -- some bags from the store are and some aren't, they will eat race horse oats, oat meal and rice and corn)

Later I gave them scratch, and now they love it. I use Manna Pro for chicks and chicks will eat LoneStar... LoneStar chick feed is higher in protein.... They will eat that Nutrena Feather Fixer now....

Over the summer they didn't eat much -- but now I can't keep their feed dishes filled (molt -- they need more feed)

Just now

Mine pick through the feed for what they like, then ignore the rest. They like meal worms, BOSS, wheat grass, and anything they can dig out of the mud...

- Ant Farm

 

[caychris]

Mine pick through the feed for what they like, then ignore the rest. They like meal worms, BOSS, wheat grass, and anything they can dig out of the mud...

- Ant Farm

Thats why I make a mash out of a high quality processed pellet. I add in Kelp/Cayene pepper ACV and Food grade DE. Planning on adding tumeric as soon as I can get some.

Working on a way to sprout some wild bird seed with lots of BOSS so I can feed them that as a supplemental fodder. The get dried meal worms about once a week. And a small amount of scratch every other day. (usually when i need to lure them somewhere of quitet them down will waiting for the pellets to dissolve)

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Thats why I make a mash out of a high quality processed pellet. I add in Kelp/Cayene pepper ACV and Food grade DE. Planning on adding tumeric as soon as I can get some.

Working on a way to sprout some wild bird seed with lots of BOSS so I can feed them that as a supplemental fodder. The get dried meal worms about once a week. And a small amount of scratch every other day. (usually when i need to lure them somewhere of quitet them down will waiting for the pellets to dissolve)

Alas, I tried that, and they looked at me like I was trying to poison them, and refused to even pick through it for any good bits. I swear, they're making me crazy.

This is good feed (not bad, not off, high quality). As was the last stuff they tried. Am I a bad Mommy for thinking that if they're hungry, they'll eventually eat it?

- Ant Farm

 

[caychris]

Alas, I tried that, and they looked at me like I was trying to poison them, and refused to even pick through it for any good bits. I swear, they're making me crazy.

This is good feed (not bad, not off, high quality). As was the last stuff they tried. Am I a bad Mommy for thinking that if they're hungry, they'll eventually eat it?

- Ant Farm

If you give them no other option then they will eventually eat it. You are not a bad mommy sending the kids to bed without dinner once in a while does make them appreciate what they get. Works for chickens too. I think some birds just dont take well to changes in routine. You could put the same old food in a new dish and they will look at it sideways. Be strong they just need be trained right now they are doing the training.

 

[fowlman01]

Alas, I tried that, and they looked at me like I was trying to poison them, and refused to even pick through it for any good bits. I swear, they're making me crazy.

This is good feed (not bad, not off, high quality). As was the last stuff they tried. Am I a bad Mommy for thinking that if they're hungry, they'll eventually eat it? 

- Ant Farm 

You will never find a starving chicken next to a bowl of food. I don't feed if there is still food available. No picky chickens here.

Walt

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

If you give them no other option then they will eventually eat it. You are not a bad mommy sending the kids to bed without dinner once in a while does make them appreciate what they get. Works for chickens too. I think some birds just dont take well to changes in routine. You could put the same old food in a new dish and they will look at it sideways. Be strong they just need be trained right now they are doing the training.

You will never find a starving chicken next to a bowl of food. I don't feed if there is still food available. No picky chickens here.

Walt

Thanks to both of you. I needed reassurance - it isn't in my nature to spoil even beloved pets. But as I'm relatively new to chickens, I'm still adapting to species specific details.

- Ant Farm

 

[sol2go]

Mine pick through the feed for what they like, then ignore the rest. They like meal worms, BOSS, wheat grass, and anything they can dig out of the mud...

- Ant Farm

I was frustrated because mine would pick through feed that had bits of corn and toss out the rest. So I went to a layer pellet which is very uniform, and a side dish of oyster shell, and there is almost no waste. Then I added a high protein/low calcium crumble in another feeder for the chicks, roosters, and anyone who wants it; it does not have the corn issue so not much waste there either.

They go through phases preferring one or the other, but the roosters rarely show an interest in the layer pellets (unless they are trying to sweet talk someone). All my groups free-range and get plenty of bugs and green things. occasionally a mouse or something yucky. I also throw cracked corn and hulled sun flower seeds into their coop/run to entice them back in at the end of the day; I have not had any problems with weight related issues.

I should add, how much effort you put into it might depend on how entertaining it is for you. I have too many chickens to tailor anything, except for individuals that are recuperating from something like a predator attack...