Help with chicken diet

[katiemsea]

I may be wrong, but I've heard that Scratch is rather heavy in carbohydrates. It's often used in colder months to help raise the body temp of the hens. Perhaps you could try a regular layer feed?

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

My barred rock hen is a big fatty also. She eats everything. And gets in where she shouldn't. She's so fat she has given up on getting to the higher roosting bars. I just let her be. The flock gets a good diet and free range in the yard several hours a day to graze and look for bugs, the rest of the flock is doing fine, not fat. This hen swoops in on every scrap of anything she might find anywhere. Probably she will drop dead from a heart attack. But she will live happy until then. I don't know what else to do with her!

 

[luckycluk]

We have tried that. What’s actually more effective is a portable evaporative cooler (which makes it more comfy for us to hang out with them too) and ice packs. We found these great 10 inch x 14 inch slim packs that we freeze and stick in old pillowcases (that during the winter we use to cover plants ). The girls LOVE the ice packs so much they try to climb on to them before they even hit the ground.

When it’s hot out I take 2ltr or 24 once bottles and fill them with water n freeze them. Scatter 3-4 in morning and replace them in the after noon with frozen ones. I noticed that some lay around them. O make sure the plastic labels are not on them

 

[luckycluk]

Since you are in the desert, and grass is scarce to non existent, you could look into growing fodder. Not difficult and likely cheaper than constantly having to buy sod or greans. And can be done year round

What is fodder?

 

[NatJ]

What is fodder?

Seeds that are sprouted and grown long enough to have some green leaves.
It's common to use whole grains for this, but other kinds of seeds can also work.

 

[luckycluk]

What type of seeds? Thank you for responding

 

[NatJ]

What type of seeds? Thank you for responding

Usually whole grains: wheat, oats, barley, etc. They are seeds, and will often sprout.
I've also read of people sprouting peas and sunflower seeds, but since I haven't done it myself I didn't bother to remember what else they used.

Here's a thread with a bit of information and a photo:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/explain-to-me-what-fodder-is.1504650/

Here's two articles about growing fodder, both with quite a few photos
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...odder-tower-with-dollar-tree-dish-bins.75190/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/creating-your-own-fodder-system.63372/