Help! Skinny chickens

[CORachael]

Hi all,

I am new to owning chickens and need help! I have three Americana hens that get to free range in a large backyard. They are almost a year old. They seem quite happy, I catch them sunning, preening and taking dust baths regularly and I get an egg from each hen almost everyday. However, they are very thin. I can feel a prominent keel on each of them. I am currently feeding them Purina Layena (available to them at all times), cracked corn (trying to put on weight), an array of fruits and vegetables once in the morning (lettuce mix, cucumber, apple or orange, grapes, cilantro, kale, and broccoli) and meal worms. They are very VERY picky hens; they won't eat the Purina Layena or the cracked corn (or different brands of scratch that I've offered them in the past as a treat). All they want is their vegetables, meal worms and their egg-shells that I feed back to them. I have tried only offering the Purina Layena to give them only one option, but they absolutely refuse.

On another note, I clean their coop regularly and dust everything with DE. They are due for a deworming, but even with that, they obviously don't like the food options I am giving them. I have read similar posts on this website saying to try things like soy, finisher, and calf manna to "fatten them up"... but I am not experienced enough to know if they are appropriate for my chickens. I have researched different brands of feed, and I really like the Scratch and Peck Feeds company. However, they do not offer their products in Colorado and it is SO expensive to have their feed shipped. I'd like to know if anyone knows of a similar product that hens just CANNOT refuse and possibly any advice on how to "fatten" my hens up with the information that I've provided.

THANK YOU for your considerations! I love my chickens so much, and I want them to be happy and healthy!

Rachael

 

[azelgin]

I can't say about true Americanas, but EE are a thin breed. I've butchered EE roosters and feel like all they are is bones and feathers. Even when confined and feed nothing but finisher, the don't put on weight. The abdomen will be full of fat, but no meat on their bones.
Sorry to say, I think your chickens palate has become a little finicky, from the goodies you give.
I bet they will eventually eat the layer, if given no other choice. Mine scatter all their pellets around on the coop floor. I don't fill the feeders again, until they clean it up, and they do, when the easy pickens is gone. Clean your plates, girls, or no dessert!

 

[Phoenixxx]

One of my EEs refused to eat pellets for weeks. Now she'll eat them if she has to, but she prefers to escape first thing in the morning and just forage. Both my EEs are more feathers than anything else but very healthy and my best layers!

I've heard feeding fermented feed is a good way to fatten up chickens. If yours are otherwise healthy (and it sounds like they are!) I don't think I'd worry about it. Besides, corn and soy are two things you really don't want your chickens eating anyway. (95% of both crops are genetically modified and therefore extremely high in pesticides; soy is really high in phytoestrogens which mess with our natural hormones.) It's unfortunate that they've become the main ingredients in practically EVERYTHING, you're lucky your girls don't like them

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have to agree with azelgin and recommend you quit all other feed sources and provide only layena.

Before you do so, check the manufacture/bagging date on your feed. If feed is stale, it will be tasteless and will be shunned. On top of that, the nutrition will be diminished. When one is having an issue with feed, I wouldn't feed anything over 3 months old.

You actually aren't trying to fatten them up. You're trying to build some muscle. The fat usually collects in the abdomen and under the skin. A fat bird that has had insufficient protein will have a prominent keel bone and small breasts.

Corn (and most scratch grains) are quite low in protein. The corn will provide energy so that will satiate their appetite and they won't get the protein, vitamins and minerals they need. Corn is already the main ingredient in layena. Layena is formulated to be the sole ration for healthy chickens. So adding corn will lower overall nutrition.

Mealworms are good sources of animal protein but unless they're getting a lot of them, it probably isn't sufficient to make up for all the other treats they're getting.

Chickens won't starve themselves. Check the date on your feed and if it's fresh, provide only that. If it's stale, buy new feed (any brand) and provide only that. After worming, you should see an improvement.

You should probably take a fecal sample to a vet to find out exactly what kind of worms you're dealing with, or if they have a load at all, in which case worming isn't prescribed.

Keep us informed.

 

[realsis]

You might try feeding a organic feed its usually a bit higher in protien and their is a HUGE difference in vitamins and nutirents.i order my organic feed and they ship to my door from countryside organics online. Their food contains things like organic field peas, organic wheat, organic oats, organic corn, organic barely, fish meal, organic rice organic alfalfa, dried sea kelp, organic flaxseed, wheat middlings, and probotics. It has vitamins A, D3, E, B12, niacin, iron, folic acid, riboflavin and more. Its grower is about 19% protien and layer is about 17%. Its made a huge difference in my flock. Their weight is better, feathers are brighter, eggs are great! You might consider giving it a try. Its worked really well for me. You can just see the difference in the food and its as fresh as it gets because they only mill small portions at a time. You can look at the ingredients and order online from www.countrysideorganics.com, its called countryside organics. Their food has made a great difference in my birds! I switched because I was getting vitamin deficiency in my flock and I was feeding puriena layerena. No I don't have any vitamin deficiency Thank God! Its really a big difference. I hope this helps and wish you luck with your flock.