Feeding Rescued Hens

[chickens at 64]

Hello I am new to your group and a brand new chicken owner. I have rescued 4 hens from an egg laying facility, they are 1 year old red sex-links with clipped beaks. I have noticed some difficulties they have with eating ( picking up bits of food). I am asking for advice or suggestions and special care needs. Thank You.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Bless you for rescuing those hens. Since they are debeaked you will have to make sure that there is a thick layer of feed so that they can scoop it up.

 

[BirdGal]

I had some battery leghorns several years back and they were a challenge as scared of solid ground,their shadows,everything. Usually those have been fed ground feed so need to learn how to eat solid feed,providing they have enough beak to pick it up. Problem I had was cold temperatures as the open beaks must have caused more respiratory problems. And the ones I had refused to learn to lay in nest boxes,just laid eggs wherever they were. Never got mine to go outside like normal chickens. So lost all interest in that breed due to bad experiences.

 

[centrarchid]

Click in image of bird with damaged beak below. Picture is from a year ago, a year after damage was done. I feed him coarse particulates like intact grains and layer pellets. Otherwise the crumbles are offered either wetted or in a deep container so he can plunge his bill into feed.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Click in image of bird with damaged beak below. Picture is from a year ago, a year after damage was done. I feed him coarse particulates like intact grains and layer pellets. Otherwise the crumbles are offered either wetted or in a deep container so he can plunge his bill into feed.

How’d that happen? Does it affect his ability to mount hens for mating?

 

[chickens at 64]

Bless you for rescuing those hens. Since they are debeaked you will have to make sure that there is a thick layer of feed so that they can scoop it up.

Thank you, I love them already. I tried feeding them on the ground instead of a hanging feeder today and that seemed to help. Thank you for your help.

 

[chickens at 64]

I had some battery leghorns several years back and they were a challenge as scared of solid ground,their shadows,everything. Usually those have been fed ground feed so need to learn how to eat solid feed,providing they have enough beak to pick it up. Problem I had was cold temperatures as the open beaks must have caused more respiratory problems. And the ones I had refused to learn to lay in nest boxes,just laid eggs wherever they were. Never got mine to go outside like normal chickens. So lost all interest in that breed due to bad experiences.

Thank you, good to know about winter concerns. I will be sure to watch out for that.

 

[chickens at 64]

Click in image of bird with damaged beak below. Picture is from a year ago, a year after damage was done. I feed him coarse particulates like intact grains and layer pellets. Otherwise the crumbles are offered either wetted or in a deep container so he can plunge his bill into feed.
Poor thing!! Thankfully my girls still have their bottom beaks, but one has a split in it. Thanks for the help.

 

[centrarchid]

Point being made is the birds can survive quite well. He is five years old and can easily live another five. Issues he does have are not even on the radar of most keeping chickens.

Your birds will have life limiting issues more related to heavy egg production, a diet that is too rich, and genetics.