I’ve got 2 food hogs. They eat way to much for 14-15 week old pullets.

[Skyleen13]

This year I began my journey into becoming a chicken lady. I will freely admit to being in love with the title & my chickens. I began with 11 baby chicks. 4 black australorps, 2 Rhode Island reds, 2 Easter eggers, 2 red speckled Sussex, & 1 red sexlinked Novagen. I Successfully raised them to 7 weeks old before introducing them to their very own run & coop. Unfortunately I lost 1 of my Sussex to a dog shortly afterwards. 10 pullets remained. My sister ended up with a rooster that she couldn’t keep. Turns out she was just inside city limits & could no longer keep him so I took him in. Now I’m at 10 9 week old pullets & 1 one year old rooster. At this time I began having crop issues with one of my gals. My remaining Sussex named Nessie. At first she had sour crop that I successfully treated. However, a few days later I began to notice her crop was huge. Like the size of a baseball huge. I put her in a bra but it didn’t help. She was a gluten. Just wouldn’t stop eating. Then one of my Easter eggers started to become a gluten as well. Now I’ve had to resort to only feeding them once a day & fewer treats to help those two not eat so much. Now that their 14-15 weeks old I’m starting to wonder at how much oyster shells I should put out for them if those two are such pigs? None are laying yet but a few are getting close. Please help. I’m giving all 11 of them 32 oz of feed a day with the occasional treat of kitchen scraps. Aka apple peals, grapes, watermelon, & lettuce. Nothing more the 20 oz max of treats every other day.

 

[casportpony]

What type of feed are you feeding?

 

[Skyleen13]

What type of feed are you feeding?

Grower feed. I was told not to feed them layer feed since I’ve got a rooster.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not quite sure what you mean by a gluten? Chickens eat what they need. This is how I do it, feed and check the bowl. If there is a lot left over, feed less the next day. If the bowl is completely empty, then feed a little more. The amount changes depending on the weather and the season. And as they grow they need more feed.

Sometimes a bird will have problems with their body, but I would not limit the feed to all to treat a few. I would cull those birds. A lot of people I know keep feed in the set up 24/7. I feed mine daily with the theory that discourages rodents. But I have never heard of a bird over eating, unless it is a rapidly growing meat bird.

32 oz is not enough, in my opinion for that number of birds. I don't measure it, but I feed about 1/2 a gallon bucket (+/-) to my dozen birds.

As for oyster shell, they seldom touch it. They certainly won't over eat it.

Mrs K

 

[jsr5]

If you are shorting them on feed the lead few will eat all they want and noticeably larger crops than those who got what was left. And those that do get a chance may over eat as they feel the need against "lean times" as then they get to the feed too late to get enough. I leave feed available to mine full time only worry about distended crops if it is that way early morning when they come off the roost. I would and do feed all my flock layer feed unless I have a separated Rooster flock then I don't give them layer feed I use an all flock. I'd also suggest leaving the oyster shell out all the time never heard anyone say they over indulged on oyster shell.
I could be wrong I certainly don't know it all yet but my opinion is based on what I have done for 3 years and a massive amount of browsing on here. Hope it helps.

 

[Shezadandy]

I have a Speckled Sussex who is a major glutton. I haven't decided whether she's got a narrowed spot somewhere or if she just doesn't have an off-switch. I took her out of the main flock because she kept stuffing herself with straw and feathers and oyster shell (on 20% protein flock raiser, no deficiency and the only treat is watermelon on hot days) - during surgery she'd literally reach into the bowl and try to eat what we'd just pulled out of her crop, standing on the table... Uh huh.

So … after recovering, she got moved to a smaller group with far fewer feathers available but still managed to get herself into trouble with the 'free-feeding' approach that my other 150 chickens have no problems with (also no other problems with oyster shell). She would lose weight rapidly and nothing would move her impactions. (bailed her out again)

Because now at 5 years old, she still lays eggs, I switched her to Layena crumble, no oyster shell on the side (again, that added to the crop impactions). She's with a single friend and they get fed their rations in the AM and PM. Much better. Here and there if I'm too generous with the portions she'll take the opportunity to stuff herself silly, turning herself into a water balloon - and I'll then vomit her, a well established routine at this point. The upside is when it's just water and crumble, emptying all by itself usually solves the problem. Generally there's a big "gurgle" sound at some point and she goes back to normal.

It's been a life long thing with her- I think the first time she was just under a year.

 

[aart]

However, a few days later I began to notice her crop was huge. Like the size of a baseball huge. I put her in a bra but it didn’t help. She was a gluten. Just wouldn’t stop eating.

If she has an impacted and/or sour crop, just a bra will not do the trick.
You need to figure out which it is and treat accordingly.
Just wen thru this, impaction and sour, used coconut oil and massage to help break up the impaction them 6 days of miconazole for the sourness. Crop bra was more distressing than helpful.

Grower feed.

What is the protein percentage?

 

[Skyleen13]

I have a Speckled Sussex who is a major glutton. I haven't decided whether she's got a narrowed spot somewhere or if she just doesn't have an off-switch. I took her out of the main flock because she kept stuffing herself with straw and feathers and oyster shell (on 20% protein flock raiser, no deficiency and the only treat is watermelon on hot days) - during surgery she'd literally reach into the bowl and try to eat what we'd just pulled out of her crop, standing on the table... Uh huh.

So … after recovering, she got moved to a smaller group with far fewer feathers available but still managed to get herself into trouble with the 'free-feeding' approach that my other 150 chickens have no problems with (also no other problems with oyster shell). She would lose weight rapidly and nothing would move her impactions. (bailed her out again)

Because now at 5 years old, she still lays eggs, I switched her to Layena crumble, no oyster shell on the side (again, that added to the crop impactions). She's with a single friend and they get fed their rations in the AM and PM. Much better. Here and there if I'm too generous with the portions she'll take the opportunity to stuff herself silly, turning herself into a water balloon - and I'll then vomit her, a well established routine at this point. The upside is when it's just water and crumble, emptying all by itself usually solves the problem. Generally there's a big "gurgle" sound at some point and she goes back to normal.

It's been a life long thing with her- I think the first time she was just under a year.

This sounds just like my girl. She eats so much that her crop just won’t empty.

 

[Skyleen13]

If you are shorting them on feed the lead few will eat all they want and noticeably larger crops than those who got what was left. And those that do get a chance may over eat as they feel the need against "lean times" as then they get to the feed too late to get enough. I leave feed available to mine full time only worry about distended crops if it is that way early morning when they come off the roost. I would and do feed all my flock layer feed unless I have a separated Rooster flock then I don't give them layer feed I use an all flock. I'd also suggest leaving the oyster shell out all the time never heard anyone say they over indulged on oyster shell.
I could be wrong I certainly don't know it all yet but my opinion is based on what I have done for 3 years and a massive amount of browsing on here. Hope it helps.

My speckled Sussex is low girl on the totem pole. When I had the feeding stations that offered food unlimited all day long she would eat until she couldn’t move anymore because her crop was so full. I’d remove her from the flock & try to help her clear her crop & it would take 2 days to completely clear her crop when she’d over eat like that. It happened several times. That’s why I’ve gone to the limiting feed.

 

[Skyleen13]

If she has an impacted and/or sour crop, just a bra will not do the trick.
You need to figure out which it is and treat accordingly.
Just wen thru this, impaction and sour, used coconut oil and massage to help break up the impaction them 6 days of miconazole for the sourness. Crop bra was more distressing than helpful.

What is the protein percentage?

It started with sour crop. I treated her for 7 days & successfully treated it. It was gone. Then 2 days after her treatment was finished I went out in the afternoon to check on my flock & I found her unable to walk because her crop was massive. Bigger then my fist in size. I separated her again into “chicken hospital” & began treating her for impacted crop. Massages & olive oil. It took 2 days to fully clear. Got it cleared. I then returned her to the flock & next day she was right back to having a huge crop again. Separated her again & it took her another 2 days before her crop was flat again. Put her in a chicken bra to try to keep her from eating so much & to keep her crop from hanging so low but it didn’t work. She still ate so much that her crop was busting out of the dra. She’s low girl on the totem pole. She just eats until she can’t move anymore if she’s allowed to eat as much as she wants.
The feed they get now is %15 protein. Their chick feed had %12. I only switched them to grower 3 weeks ago. Her crop problems began 6 weeks ago. She will still overeat if given the chance.