Feeding for winter

[dragonlair]

Going into the winter I add a little bit of oil to their layer feed (I like crumbles) and give them beef fat to peck at for the extra energy. I hang one of those suet feeders in their pen and fill it with the meat/fat scraps I get for my dogs. They love it and it keeps their little bodies nice and warm in the winter. When its really bitterly cold, I give them bread every day. I split a loaf of whole grain bread (from the "dead bread" store) between the entire flock (24 hens more or less)

The fat/meat is in their pen all the time, the bread is given in the evening.

 

[tritty74]

Other good sources of protein are hard boiled or scrambled eggs and meal worms.

 

[wolftracks]

I've started tossing beans or peas into the crockpot once a week and when they are almost done I ad a little rice. Not a lot, but some. During the winter I also add cayane pepper to keep them warm. I do give scratch in the winter too. Just started that today, since it's windy cold and wet here. A little early this year, but they looked cold, so out it went. I give them a scoop at night as it gets colder. The get layer pellets and also most of them free range. I can still get a thin bird or two, but the more treats they get the thinner they get, so I always know which ones get the most treats.

Last year I started growing sprouts for them. I use splatter screens I bought at the 99 cent store. I get them to sprout and they hook into the sreen which I hang in the run. I used to hang it in to coop, but they made a mess and I found moldy sprouts. Not good, so it's under cover, but outdoors.

You can grow meal worms. A lot of people do, but I don't seem to be able to get them to stay alive, no matter what I do. They did get a few of the beetles, but my project went belly up and I gave up.

 

[wyododge]

If they were mine, I would get them a feeder and keep it full of 3/4 layer pellets or crumbles and 1/4 meat bird. Give them a little corn or scratch, but not first thing in the morning, and not more than a cup or two to get them eating in the afternoon. One other thing I would do (and do) is add Diatomaceous earth to their feed (2% by weight - I put a mason jar in a bag), and Raw apple cider vinegar to their water we put a good splash in a five gallon bucket. I don't know why, or how, but the two really make a difference.

The biggest thing is that it will take some time. I am not sure where you live, but I would also not provide ANY source of artificial heat. They may get some protection from a good fat layer, but most of their protection comes from the down layer. If they are protein deficient (and it appears they are) they are going to be building bone, fat reserves and feathers all at the same time. They are remarkably resilient and adaptable animals. Take a picture tomorrow, and take another in two weeks and see the difference. You really can't tell by looking at them every day.

This is just what I would do, one thing for sure is I would not take any drastic steps, I would provide what they need, they will do the rest.

On edit - after thinking a while, I have to change my answer...

They have been on a low protein diet essentially and switching over to a high protein diet may shock their digestion a bit. So with that in mind, If they were my chickens I would do the following.

Keep them on the layer ration for a week, then go to 25% meet bird 75% layer. then 50-50 for a week, then 25% layer 75% meet bird for a week. I would keep them on the 25% 75% until they look like they have filled out, then keep them on that for another week or so, then reduce back to just layer pellets, but I would reduce the ration at twice the rate of the increase so you don't reduce laying. At a two week stretch between reductions, you should be able to notice any reductions and be able to correct easily and with minimal shock to their digestion.

Just my opinion and the course of action I would take if they were mine.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-5/Lisa_Jansen_Mathews.html
Others have given good advice, but here is a nice link on the changing needs by the season of poultry.

 

[jenmiller]

thank you for all the great newbie info!!! I will try and see which works for my chickens!!!

 

[MIKE555444]

It makes a big difference what you feed... I shared a new flock of chicks with a friend. I fed chick starter and he fed cracked corn. The results (with pics) are here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=562670

Hope things work out well for you... God Bless