I need to fatten up a chicken -- ideas?

[thewatsonfarm]

We rescued a lone hen & added her to our flock last spring. She's an easter-egger, and while the other girls don't love her, she's holding her own. We feed them Scratch & Peck feed, and they free-range in the yard, plus we give them BOSS and sometimes fruit as a treat daily.

I noticed her limping the other day, so I picked her up and she is soooooo skinny!!! She is feathers & bone! I took her to the vet (because I'm a worry wart), and he said she is exactly the same weight as when we first got her: 3.8 lbs. He said she just may always be thin. (And she has a hip problem.)

I'd be a lot more comfortable if she would put on some weight. But she isn't too adventurous about eating treats. Before she came to us, she lived alone in a cage for 5 years, and never ate anything but laying mash, so she is kind of funny about trying new treats. She loves watermelon, but that isn't going to do it. Doesn't like raisins.

Anyone have ideas for fattening up this skinny little hen? Treats that might help her put on a healthy weight? Thanks so much for contributing ideas!!!

 

[Pyxis]

I'd start by worming her, because that may be part of the issue. I'd worm the whole flock, as that's the only way to get rid of worms if you do have them. I'd recommend Safeguard.

Her leg scales also look raised, as if she may have scaly leg mites. I'd go ahead and treat for those as well. You might want to go with pour on Ivermectin, because that's really the easiest way to treat them. The other ways all involve catching her (and all the other chickens because if she has them they likely do too) every day and slathering their legs with something like Vaseline or Bag Balm. So I would dose them all with Ivermectin as well, unless you prefer the leg slathering treatment instead.

How much protein is in the feed you feed? A higher protein may help her gain some weight. You might also try feeding her some cat food as a treat, and maybe also some really yummy, enticing stuff like live mealworms. It looks like she's also going through a molt, which is hard on them. The extra protein will also help with feather regrowth.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You are already feeding the fattening treats. You could try some scrambled eggs or cottage cheese. Chickens really shouldn't feel fat to be healthy. Fat chickens are unhealthy chickens. She looks pretty good for her age except for her molting. The extra protein in the eggs and cottage cheese can help them molt easier too.

I have found Easter eggers and Ameraucana to be fairly independent birds, that often don't need company, so it could just be her personality.

 

[micstrachan]

I’ve been giving my girls warm, damp feed in the morning with some Manna Calf Performance Supplement mixed in at about 25% and they love it! Not sure yet if they’re gaining weight, but at least they are eating heartily! Yiur girl also might enjoy a live meal worm treat.

 

[Titan Farm]

I’ve been giving my girls warm, damp feed in the morning with some Manna Calf Performance Supplement mixed in at about 25% and they love it! Not sure yet if they’re gaining weight, but at least they are eating heartily! Yiur girl also might enjoy a live meal worm treat.

Are you talking about calf manna put out by manna pro?
It's a pink pellet.

If so you are feeding way too much of it.
You should be feeding it at the rate of 5 to 10% of there diet.

 

[junebuggena]

She's molting. It is very normal for molting hens to drop weight. It takes an enormous amount of energy to grow in those feathers. I would focus more on increasing her protein intake rather than calories.

 

[BarredRockMom]

We give our girls extra protein treats like freeze dried mealworms & live crickets. Now that it's Fall & hunting season, they also get fresh venison (raw) meat chunks (cut daintily for their small mouths) to help them thru their moults. (We process our own, so we can control the quality, ie, no fat, no tendon, etc. If I wouldn't eat it, they don't get it, with the exception of bugs & foraged items.)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You've been given good advice. Did the vet read a fecal sample? That would be a good approach to identify if and what kind of worms she has.
Usually chickens that have been confined to cages don't have a means to acquire a parasite load.
You don't really want to fatten her up, you want her to gain muscle weight. Fat sits in the abdomen and fat chickens don't lay well.
Muscle comes from protein. Animal sources of protein are great for replacing feathers and adding muscle once any parasites are taken care of.

 

[Folly's place]

I just looked up the feed, on their official website. Where's the assay? They are very happy to sell the stuff, for amazing prices, and list ingredients, but not the actual nutritional information.
I wondered if the layer you are feeding is in the 16% protein range, and also if your hen is picking out the ingredients she likes, and not eating everything in the mix.
The goodies you are adding are low protein, not helpful if she's deficient already. Just wondering!
I feed an all-flock feed, 20% protein, crumbles, so the birds eat a complete feed and can't separate out the good stuff. They have oyster shell on the side, and it works very well.
If she's actually the same weight as before, that's not that bad. As long as it's not a squishy abdomen or something. Mary

 

[Titan Farm]

Looks like they have two types of layer feeds, one with and one without corn.
Both feeds are only 16% protein.
https://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/naturally-free-layer/#iLightbox[product-gallery]/3
https://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/soy-free-layer/#iLightbox[product-gallery]/2