Is crop emptying speed affected by moisture content of feed?

[caralouise1974]

Just a thought really...

My BO seems to really like a sloppy wet mash made from her layer's pellets whereas the bluebelle seems to prefer to take a mixture of the dry pellets and a little wet mash. I make up a little fresh wet mash every day for them, and it does seem to get either partially or mostly eaten by the end of the day. It has remained largely untouched for a couple of days now though, and I do wonder if she's eating much of it at all. The dry pellets are almost completely gone every evening though, so one of them is definitely eating those.

I'm a bit worried though that the BO never seems to have a full crop at bedtime and am wondering if that might be because she's passing the moistened mushy stuff straight through her crop, whereas the bluebelle's crop is having to work harder at the dry feed?

They are both laying just fine and behaving completely normally, although I have just wormed them this evening with Ivermectin pour on, just in case a possible lack of appetite might be caused by a large worm-load. The BO does feel a little skinny around the breast, but has a healthy comb and is nicely feathered. She really does look pretty much okay and is always up for a good fight with the bluebelle for any treats I have to offer! (So her appetite for the good stuff is definitely fine!)

Am I worrying over nothing and the wet mash is simply passing through her quicker?

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

the crop does the passing and it only stands to reason that the wet mash would go thru faster

now with that said
PLEASE NOTE that you must be creful with the wet mash spoiling

If the bird does not eat the wet mash in 20-30 minutes it should be removed and kept in container in frig as it will spoil now with summer heat
and that will cause you some more problems

you should only feed the wet mash by its self to induce the eating of it in the time frame noted

then clean the wet feeder and restock the dry pellets

I would also gather the bird being light may mean she has mareks as that is what going light is all about, generally a skiny breast bone denotes this.
it is mareks of the liver

so when giving wet mash only give each hen
3 tbsp maximum of the web mash at one time

if more questions email me PM

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
Whhhaaaa?

Mareks? Wouldn't she have other symptoms? She's absolutely fine, laying daily, lovely glossy feathers, very fast on her feet, normal chicken behaviour - could she really have Mareks just because she feels a little light? Oh my God, how devastating.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Please don't panic. She said "may." BO's typically feel lighter than they look because they are so fluffy. Have you raised BO's for long? Maybe she wouldn't feel light at all to someone who was experienced, if you are fairly new to this (as so many of us are!)

 

[caralouise1974]

Yes, I've never had BOs before, only hybrids, and they tend to feel more 'solid' than Henrietta does. She's all feather and lots of boney bits! And she hardly does any poo, as compared to our bluebelle - they're very dainty little poops by comparison!

Is that normal for a BO then? I suppose it must be, or she wouldn't be laying so prolifically and be so spritely on her feet.

My husband thinks I'm completely barmy, the way I worry about these chickens! (Our first baby is due in five weeks, and I dread to think how neurotic I'll be over my own flesh and blood!)

 

[Judy]

Well, if you really want to look at how wide the variation is in normal poo:

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0



Good luck.

 

[caralouise1974]

Isn't it funny how, when it comes to our chickens, we always manage to bring it back to poo!

Started out as a crop-emptying thread, and I managed to get the subject round to poo, as usual!

 

[Judy]

Quote:

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

I reread your post and this is what you are worring about?

My BO seems to really like a sloppy wet mash made from her layer's pellets whereas the bluebelle seems to prefer to take a mixture of the dry pellets and a little wet mash. I make up a little fresh wet mash every day for them, and it does seem to get either partially or mostly eaten by the end of the day. It has remained largely untouched for a couple of days now though, and I do wonder if she's eating much of it at all. The dry pellets are almost completely gone every evening though, so one of them is definitely eating those.

I'm a bit worried though that the BO never seems to have a full crop at bedtime and am wondering if that might be because she's passing the moistened mushy stuff straight through her crop, whereas the bluebelle's crop is having to work harder at the dry feed?
QUESTION
Do you think as she has quit eating the wet mash she is now eating the pellets???


They are both laying just fine and behaving completely normally, although I have just wormed them this evening with Ivermectin pour on, just in case a possible lack of appetite might be caused by a large worm-load.

The BO does feel a little skinny around the breast, but has a healthy comb and is nicely feathered. She really does look pretty much okay and is always up for a good fight with the bluebelle for any treats I have to offer! (So her appetite for the good stuff is definitely fine!)

QUESTION
so in your opinion she is okay???

Am I worrying over nothing and the wet mash is simply passing through her quicker?

QUESTION
I would say so and is she eating a full crop by night fall ythen??

I was only telling you what a bird who is light is like and what it is

so your bird is probably not going light them????
Try not to worry as when the chicken is sluggish, not eating at all and she may then have a prolem