Help With More Nutrition for Underweight Chicken

[gardenak]

Scrambled or boiled, doesn't matter much, it'll get all smushed up. Oh, and I didn't mention, I usually dump the gooey stuff onto a paper plate so I can just throw it away and it's easier to peck. I used to put mash in a bowl but the stuff gets like quick sand and I had one get stuck- you should have heard/seen her! It was a riot.

 

[Judy]

Most any animal protein. Canned mackerel is pretty cheap, and some canned tuna is, for example, and they love fish. Mine will clean bones from pork chops, etc. A bit of cooked hamburger when you are making spaghetti works well. Whatever is handy.

Usually you can mix a new food with a bit of their feed and they get the idea. It isn't so much not liking a food as it is not understanding it is food, and good.

 

[Judy]

I would not give a lot of cat food, it does contain things they should not have in quantity.

 

[LauraSBale]

how about some Flax seed, and some seeds, like oilers sunflower, pumpkins, the inside seed so he doesn't have to work so hard, they are high in good fats and proteins.
and flax has all kinds of good stuff in it.

and maybe some Iron, since the mites taking out his blood

 

[007Dawn]

Give him a bowl of oatmeal with cayneed peppery in it and a teaspoon of sugar.

The oats will be good to get food and water in. The caynee pepper will keep mites of of him and the sugar will stimulate his desire to eat and perk him up.

I hate this new thing my husband put on the keyboard!

 

[jayde88]

Chris09, Thanks! Hazel doesn't seem to have much of a problem with eating cat food so long it's ground up. But it's good to know you can soak it in water to get it more eatable (sound more enjoyable then grinding up cat food

)

Gardenak, thanks! I made some of the mash and he liked it, I will certainly remember that! Thanks again!

007Dawn, thanks for the food ideas! I will try them. And thanks for the warning about cat food, I'll be careful not to give him too much...

LauraSBale, I have some flax seed in his food right now, thanks! Do you think it would be a good idea to give him bird's seed? It has a lot of seeds and stuff in it...

Thanks again, everyone! Hazel's looking better already!

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
grinding cat food just don't sound like fun... Soak it the night before you need it.. Cat food takes some time to get soft...
In the winter I soak the dog food for the dog that are out side and I have to give a hand full to the yard birds or they try to steal it from the dogs..

Chris

 

[LauraSBale]

Quote:
Sure you could give some Bird seed, some mixs has, oilers, millet, thistle, and corn, it will help him with getting energy.

also if you do make a mash with water, if you have a dried peppermint leafs, mix in about 1/2 teaspoon, peppermint helps increase appetite


those chickens they do love mash, in the winter, 3 or 4 times a week, i will make oat meal, corn meal, if i have any left over rice, seeds, some garlic, olive oil, make like a thick soup. give it to them warm. it gone in a couple min's

 

[jayde88]

Chris09, okay, thanks! When he runs out of the ground up stuff, I will give him it soaked.

LauraSBale, thanks! I've got some birdseed in his food now

Would fresh peppermint work? I'll be remembering mash, especially in the winter. I gave some to my flock and it dissapeared in about 2 seconds.

His food now consists of...

layer feed + ground up cat food + alfalfa pellets + soybean flaks seed meal + birds' seed + cayenne pepper + sugar + iron. (it is all mixed together)

Does this sound like a good nutritious combonation?
He's been eating lots of grass, too. And cherries.

 

[LauraSBale]

you could try the peppermint, it also warms up the system, the Stomach and digestive system, to get and keep things moving,
you can use peppermint tea, just make sure thats all in it is the peppermint.

I think in stead of sugar, i would use honey, Raw honey has lots of good nutrients in it.


I give it to my girls in the winter,
i have a herb garden
and i dry the herbs,

also you can give him bee pollen, I posted this for a lady,
all you would need it about 1/8 teaspoon to his mash.

heres a link to info on bee pollen its on #20 post

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=212127