If a Hen Falls

[ClareScifi]

That is an idea, but I'm still afraid of them falling off the high roost, getting pushed off, as some have said has happened to their chickens. So now I'm thinking I can just wrap all around the shelf and beams with a heavy duty electrical tape. It will be a lot easier than trying to find a piece of wood to fit, I think. Do you think that might work?

 

[centrarchid]

Centrarchid,

Here is the nutritional info on the Nutrena All Flock they all get:

http://www.nutrenaworld.com/nutrena...rewise-poultry/naturewise-all-flock/index.jsp

You can see it is significantly lower in calcium-- only 1.4% - 1.9%, compared to 4.6% calcium in the laying mash. And it is lower in fat and higher in fiber.

Soooo, do you think, once the laying mash is gone, I should maybe just stop feeding laying mash and go with the Nutrena all the time? I would love to be able to do this if I thought the girls could get enough calcium from the oyster shell on the side. I don't think they eat oyster shell very well, but I have seen some of them peck at it.

The laying mash does worry me, because sometimes, as hard as I try to keep the rooster out of it, he will find it when out free-ranging, spilled on the ground, if nothing else, and I know it is bad for him.

But I'd feel terrible if the girls got eggbound or something from not getting enough calcium from just the Nutrena All Flock and the free choice oyster shell. What do you think?

With a mixed sex / production type flock, I would go with the Nutrena option providing oyster shell free choice. Hen's intake of oyster shell will increase when need for calcium no longer met as well as supplied by laying mash. This arrangement means you have fewer types of feed to store and dispense.

Sitting here, I am trying figure out how to either reduce caloric intake for the big girl and / or make her burn more calories during coarse of day. Using the Nutrena should help with that even if calorie content similar since protein is not as effeciently used as an energy source as fat and carbohydrates. Have you considered applying something like sunflower seeds that are scattered abou? This will make birds work and will put more fiber through their guts leaving less space for the more nutrient dense Nutrena formulation. Any intake of fibrous plant materials in addition to what you supply already will help.

 

[ClareScifi]

Thank you, Centrarchid. I had considered sunflower seeds but read something negative about them for chickens. Flax was thought to be superior. However, I bought a bag of flax and put it in the freezer and then forgot about it after feeding it to them a few times.

I've thought the little plastic balls filled with sunflower seeds that dispense as the chooks roll them about would be a fun toy.

But I can't remember what it was negative about the sunflower seeds. Maybe had something to do with lysine. I'll go check now.

 

[centrarchid]

Thank you, Centrarchid. I had considered sunflower seeds but read something negative about them for chickens. Flax was thought to be superior. However, I bought a bag of flax and put it in the freezer and then forgot about it after feeding it to them a few times.

I've thought the little plastic balls filled with sunflower seeds that dispense as the chooks roll them about would be a fun toy.

But I can't remember what it was negative about the sunflower seeds. Maybe had something to do with lysine. I'll go check now.

I use sunflower seeds during each winter. Application rate approaches 10% of total diet and no ill effects have been evident. Keeping sunflower seed at or below 10% of total diet when feeding a formulated feed that is high in quality protein (Nutrena) should negate any defeciencies promotes by the sunflower seeds. Anything you do that makes birds work harder for eats will help them physically and possibly mentally as well. My happiest birds seem to have to work up all their own grub by free-range foraging. They tend to be a little lighter in weight and can fly a lot better than birds fed strictly a formulated diet.

 

[ClareScifi]

Check this out. I think flax seed is a good choice. It helps prevent ovarian tumors in hens. I like that it has Omega 3. Sunflower seed has only Omega 6:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504124740.htm

 

[centrarchid]

Check this out. I think flax seed is a good choice. It helps prevent ovarian tumors in hens. I like that it has Omega 3. Sunflower seed has only Omega 6:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504124740.htm

In terms of nutrient content you are correct. What is needed though is non-nutritive bulk. The sunflower seeds will provide that as fiber making up the hulls.

 

[ClareScifi]

But sunflower seeds are so fatty. I worry about her getting fatty hemorrhagic liver disease from fatty foods like that.

 

[centrarchid]

But sunflower seeds are so fatty. I worry about her getting fatty hemorrhagic liver disease from fatty foods like that.

Feed only in small amounts (< 10% of total intake) and you will not have excessive fat intake. Compare the fat content of sunflower seeds with hull on to flax seed in respect to fat content. Rember you are doing this to increase fiber intake.

 

[ClareScifi]

I sure do appreciate the suggestion and am considering it.

It's to be hot today-- 95 F. I decided not to let her have any laying mash for the rest of the summer. She's never had a problem laying eggs, so I think maybe she doesn't need it, as much as she loves it? I think she just picks out the fatty corn bits? Fat is especially bad on hot days and I'm worried about a heart attack.

I think the sunflower seeds would help her feathers shine, and they are high in calcium; right? I like the idea of her having to exercise to find them.

I also read that the mash gets on their beaks, dirtying their drinking water, so that's not good. She doesn't like pellets as much as mash.

I've also decided to let her free-range more in the early morning, for exercise. I can keep the rooster penned.

Where would I buy good quality sunflower seeds? Do you give them the whole sunflower seed or just the kernel innards? How many sunflower seeds would equal 10% of total intake? I have no idea how to judge that? But if you could tell me an approximate number of individual sunflower seeds to apportion out, I could count out that many each day. I do think they would be a healthier route to go than the corn bits in laying mash.

A Ph.D. chicken expert told me he thinks she and my Sebright Bantam will do fine on just the All Flock with oyster shell on the side free-choice. But he said my 2 half white leghorn girls need the extra calcium in laying mash for best production. So maybe I'll let them out one at a time and let them finish off the laying mash and then switch to laying pellets for them in the winter. It's funny, though. They don't really seem to like the laying mash. My biggest laying mash lovers are the Barred Rock and the rooster, who is not supposed to have it. The Sebright Bantam loves it nearly as much. She's not laying as much as she did at first, so I am letting her have some.

Letting them have it one at a time eliminates the pecking order problem. When the Barred Rock is eating it, she will peck anyone who comes near the bowl of it, driving them away. This way, they can have as much as they want.

 

[centrarchid]

I sure do appreciate the suggestion and am considering it.

It's to be hot today-- 95 F. I decided not to let her have any laying mash for the rest of the summer. She's never had a problem laying eggs, so I think maybe she doesn't need it, as much as she loves it? I think she just picks out the fatty corn bits? Fat is especially bad on hot days and I'm worried about a heart attack.

I think the sunflower seeds would help her feathers shine, and they are high in calcium; right? I like the idea of her having to exercise to find them.

I also read that the mash gets on their beaks, dirtying their drinking water, so that's not good. She doesn't like pellets as much as mash.

I've also decided to let her free-range more in the early morning, for exercise. I can keep the rooster penned.

Where would I buy good quality sunflower seeds? Do you give them the whole sunflower seed or just the kernel innards? How many sunflower seeds would equal 10% of total intake? I have no idea how to judge that? But if you could tell me an approximate number of individual sunflower seeds to apportion out, I could count out that many each day. I do think they would be a healthier route to go than the corn bits in laying mash.

A Ph.D. chicken expert told me he thinks she and my Sebright Bantam will do fine on just the All Flock with oyster shell on the side free-choice. But he said my 2 half white leghorn girls need the extra calcium in laying mash for best production. So maybe I'll let them out one at a time and let them finish off the laying mash and then switch to laying pellets for them in the winter. It's funny, though. They don't really seem to like the laying mash. My biggest laying mash lovers are the Barred Rock and the rooster, who is not supposed to have it. The Sebright Bantam loves it nearly as much. She's not laying as much as she did at first, so I am letting her have some.

Letting them have it one at a time eliminates the pecking order problem. When the Barred Rock is eating it, she will peck anyone who comes near the bowl of it, driving them away. This way, they can have as much as they want.

If oyster shell is availble, the calcium as supplied by feed and seeds not as important.

Sunflower seeds can be acquired from most agricultural supply stores including yur local Farmers Co-Op.

Feed as whole seed with shell on.

Estimate application intake based on weight. If preparing a pound of feed to be applied, make so 9/10's made up of formulated diet and 1/10 made up of sunflower seeds. Do not count oyster shell in this. Do not do based on volume since seeds are much less dense than formulated crumbles and pellets.

I am an animal nutritionist as well although fish are my expertise. With poultry I am well read and have lots of free-range experience. The information we have concerning chickens is based on intensively reared birds for either meat or egg production. Once natural forages enter picture, the birds become more forgiving with respect to nutrient content of feeds we provide. Some of the plant forages in particular have more available vitamins and calcium than any of our pre-mixed feeds can provide plus have additional fiber.