Honking when eating

[blessedholler]

I gave my chickens some cracked corn this afternoon (they have it everyday). They were honking or squeaking while they were eating. I've not heard them do that before. Is that normal or a problem?

 

[chooks4life]

Sounds like they're inhaling small pieces. Was this last lot of cracked corn from the bottom of the bag, or did it contain small particles? Also if they're very hungry they may eat dangerously fast and inhale solids that way. In future you might be better off wetting the feed so it doesn't get inhaled so easily, and perhaps worm them if you haven't already. I had one chicken survive inhaling a bit of food, had to cull another. Every so often one would squeak if gutsing food carelessly though.

Best wishes.

 

[blessedholler]

Sounds like they're inhaling small pieces. Was this last lot of cracked corn from the bottom of the bag, or did it contain small particles? Also if they're very hungry they may eat dangerously fast and inhale solids that way. In future you might be better off wetting the feed so it doesn't get inhaled so easily, and perhaps worm them if you haven't already. I had one chicken survive inhaling a bit of food, had to cull another. Every so often one would squeak if gutsing food carelessly though.

Best wishes.

Thank you very much for your reply. They didn't do it last evening or this morning. Maybe they were really hungry? they had their layer pellets still in the feeding trough. I have noticed that they really like the cracked corn though. Maybe too much? eating it too fast. I will keep an eye on it and try to wet it if it happens again. Thanks again for the help!