I Gave Raw Peanuts to My Flock--Help!

[HealingJoy]

I feel awful. I thought I was giving them something great--I didn't think anything of raw peanuts, since roasted peanuts have been a treat for a long while. Now a chicken is dead. I didn't think to consider it was the feed until my mom thought the fact they were gaining weight was unusual. When I looked up each ingredient and came across raw peanuts, I cringed and cried. I lost a beautiful hen, and now I am concerned about how to help any others that might be sick and I don't know it. Can this be reversed? Obviously, I have stopped feeding them the feed with raw peanuts, everything else in there was good: millet, black sunflower seeds, red wheat, and safflower seeds. I am hoping that there is a remedy out there by chance to help prevent anything bad that might be happening to the others without me knowing. Thank you for your humble and kind help.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Im sorry for your loss
Maybe @Eggcessive or @Wyorp Rock csn help!

 

[CCsGarden]

I feel awful. I thought I was giving them something great--I didn't think anything of raw peanuts, since roasted peanuts have been a treat for a long while. Now a chicken is dead. I didn't think to consider it was the feed until my mom thought the fact they were gaining weight was unusual. When I looked up each ingredient and came across raw peanuts, I cringed and cried. I lost a beautiful hen, and now I am concerned about how to help any others that might be sick and I don't know it. Can this be reversed? Obviously, I have stopped feeding them the feed with raw peanuts, everything else in there was good: millet, black sunflower seeds, red wheat, and safflower seeds. I am hoping that there is a remedy out there by chance to help prevent anything bad that might be happening to the others without me knowing. Thank you for your humble and kind help.

I'm so sorry for your loss! Can you give them some layer feed? That will and should have the vitamins they need in it.
Otherwise give them some yogurt with vitamins B complex and E.

Do they seem to have big crop that won't empty?

What brand of feed are you using? How is their poo?

 

[ManueB]

First, I'm sorry for your loss. You haven't made a deadly mistake : raw peanuts are not poisonous for chickens. The only way they would be, is if they get contaminated by aflatoxin. This is not specific to peanuts and can happen to a number of food that are otherwise suitable for chickens when they develop a mold aspergillus, especially if stored in damp or warm conditions. Corn, grains, could also get this. If you believe the food you got was contaminated when buying it, you should tell the place where you got it as it would need to be tested and eventually recalled.

If the food you mention was the only type of food they ate, and if they are not free ranging, and depending on the type and age of chickens, then possibly it could have caused nutrition issues, leading to something lethal in the long term.

I give a handful of raw peanuts to my chickens two or three times a week, and have done so regularly for two years now. I store the peanuts and all chicken sensitive seeds in a closed container, in my kitchen next to our own grains and seeds.

Edit to add : there is no remedy for aflatoxicosis. Switching feed will be the safe way to go ; if you can be more specific about what type of chickens you have (age / laying or not/keeping conditions) and where you live, then I'm sure you'll get advice on what type of feed to get them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. How much did she eat and how long ago before she died? I was not aware of raw peanuts being a problem. Did she overeat?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do they get a balanced chicken feed and do you provide any granite poultry grit to help the gizzard grind up foods and grass? They don’t need it with layer or all flock feed in crumbles or pellets, but should get it if free ranging or eating grasses, seeds and bugs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I feel awful. I thought I was giving them something great--I didn't think anything of raw peanuts, since roasted peanuts have been a treat for a long while. Now a chicken is dead. I didn't think to consider it was the feed until my mom thought the fact they were gaining weight was unusual. When I looked up each ingredient and came across raw peanuts, I cringed and cried. I lost a beautiful hen, and now I am concerned about how to help any others that might be sick and I don't know it. Can this be reversed? Obviously, I have stopped feeding them the feed with raw peanuts, everything else in there was good: millet, black sunflower seeds, red wheat, and safflower seeds. I am hoping that there is a remedy out there by chance to help prevent anything bad that might be happening to the others without me knowing. Thank you for your humble and kind help.

I'm sorry for your loss.

How do you know peanuts were the cause of her dying? Did she have any symptoms previously?

The only way to know what caused her to die would be to send the body to your state lab for testing/analysis.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...zmlarSHR9BaE0u2VmkAhhubHQnzv4Bf0hI5roZNtMvrVC
If you no longer have the body, but lose another in a short period of time, consider sending in that one.

You mentioned your Mom is worried about the Hens gaining weight? All of the hens, or just the one that died?

In December you had a thread about a hen that was not doing well. She was molting. The posts in the thread did go over nutrition and what was being fed. One of the knowledgeable Educators about feed also posted to your thread making suggestions. You may want to go back over that information and see if you need to make any adjustments/changes to diet.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-chicken-what-do-i-do.1647988/

 

[Sondraa]

Web search results: Make sure you don't feed raw peanuts to your chickens. Raw peanuts contain an enzyme called peanut lectin, which can be harmful to your poultry. The raw peanut also contains a deadly enzyme called trypsin that kills smaller animals and fowls.19 Nov 2021

 

[Sondraa]

I had never heard of this either but don't have access to raw peanuts so it hasn't been an issue. Tragic situation. Sorry this has happened. Unfortunately we can't know everything. Try to be kind to yourself.