Eating diseased chickens

[Kelly's Chickens]

Their hearts looked normal size to me.
I cooked them up in my crockpot and they smell delicious so I'm glad it's ok to eat them!

Do you know what causes a chicken to get crop bound? I've lost 8 chickens - 4 hens and 4 roosters- in the last 2 months. I feed them a mixture of alfalfa pellets (small ones), whole wheat, whole oats, sunflower seeds and cooked brown rice. That's what my chickens have been eating since 2009 and this is the first year I've had a problem with crops being bound. The hens are on pasture but the roosters were in a static run making compost for me. The roosters I just butchered didn't even have grass in their crops!
Kelly

 

[Tomtommom]

Their hearts looked normal size to me.
I cooked them up in my crockpot and they smell delicious so I'm glad it's ok to eat them!

Do you know what causes a chicken to get crop bound? I've lost 8 chickens - 4 hens and 4 roosters- in the last 2 months. I feed them a mixture of alfalfa pellets (small ones), whole wheat, whole oats, sunflower seeds and cooked brown rice. That's what my chickens have been eating since 2009 and this is the first year I've had a problem with crops being bound. The hens are on pasture but the roosters were in a static run making compost for me. The roosters I just butchered didn't even have grass in their crops!
Kelly

Usually it's too much roughage, not enough grit. I like soaking and/or sprouting my grains and seeds, makes it a little easier to digest. Being in a static run would make it that they'd run out of natural available grit, I'd suppose?

 

[KittieChick]

Usually it's too much roughage, not enough grit. I like soaking and/or sprouting my grains and seeds, makes it a little easier to digest. Being in a static run would make it that they'd run out of natural available grit, I'd suppose?

My birds eat off the ground, I feed a FF diet with every now and then a handful of regular food. I read that they will ingest enough small rocks and stuff to not need additional grit. Should I put grit in the pen in a dish, anyhow?

 

[Tomtommom]

My birds eat off the ground, I feed a FF diet with every now and then a handful of regular food. I read that they will ingest enough small rocks and stuff to not need additional grit. Should I put grit in the pen in a dish, anyhow?

Just toss a bit on the ground, that's what I do. They're idiots and will eat too much if it's in a bowl (OH FOOD! < my birds)

 

[KittieChick]

Just toss a bit on the ground, that's what I do. They're idiots and will eat too much if it's in a bowl (OH FOOD! < my birds)

Hahaha! That's funny. Mine do that as well. Except for the brown pellets in their feed. They don't like the brown.

 

[enola]

If something is causing their digestive system to slow down or stop they will appear to be crop bound. Worms can compromise a chicken's digestive system to the point that blockage can happen. Worming regularly is a preventive measure.

 

[CluckyChook]

The only time I got a crop bound cook was going from a coop to a free range system, I think she ate to much long grass in one go and couldn't be bothered to go and get water so she was also dehydrated.

 

[CluckyChook]

Out of curiosity what would cause heart failure other than bad genetics ?

 

[lazy gardener]

It's related to the massive and fast development with the C x R. They grow so fast and put on such bulk that their hearts can't keep up. Same with the issues with their legs: Their bone structure doesn't support the massive weight.

 

[enola]

It's related to the massive and fast development with the C x R.  They grow so fast and put on such bulk that their hearts can't keep up.  Same with the issues with their legs:  Their bone structure doesn't support the massive weight.

You can control their growth by regulating their feeding program. When I raised them, I fed them measured amounts 3 times a day. The next time I raise them, I plan on using fermented feed. If you have the facilities to free range them, they will be even healthier.