I need to fatten up a chicken -- ideas?

[micstrachan]

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.

Thank you!!! Yes, that’s the one. It’s only at that ratio for a breakfast treat, and then they have free choice complete layer feed all day. Yikes. I’ll back the ratio down. Don’t want to fry their little organs.

 

[azygous]

You've received stellar advice from some of the most renowned here at BYC. Your hen is beautiful, and I see she's molting. That will likely cause a significant weight loss until she's finished shunting all of her resources to feather growth.

My flock are in the midst of molt and are in varying stages of feather regrowth. A few are alarmingly skinny. One has lost half her normal body weight. She does it every year.

I get Chicken of the Sea mackerel and feed a can of it to my flock of 23 two or three times a week during molt to send some high quality animal protein their way. They really seem to benefit from it, and of course they enjoy it immensely.

 

[Folly's place]

Molting birds can look terrible! It's the near baldness, and pathetic loss of tail feathers, and horrible scruffiness. It does pass, and they look good again. Some of mine are there now, and it's pretty grim. No pictures!!! Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Like @azygous, I feed canned mackerel (but the cheap brand) when I don't have enough animal protein from other sources. It is way cheaper per ounce than tuna or any other commercially available protein.
I also use it for predator trap bait.

 

[thewatsonfarm]

Thank you all for the great ideas. I sure appreciate it! Trying mackerel and meal worms.

 

[The Great Eel Man]

I raise mealworms and feed them to my chickens (currently in the process of making a superworm farm) and they absolutely love them, Like almost fighting over them, I'd actually recommend raising your own mealworms just because of the simplicity (Basically you take them put them in a plastic bin with a layer of oats and throw in some fruit and veggies once in a while) you can easily get them from any pet store and they're pretty cheap. Anyways I hope she does well