It's beginning to look a lot like molt season....

[mrskenmore]

feathers eeeverywhere I gooooo (set to the tune of it's beginning to look a lot like Christ-mas!)

question for all you flock experts out there... I have a flock of 7 hens, 3 are older and molting and not currently laying and 4 are juveniles at 20 weeks and have just come off of the chick crumbles and are co-habitating peacefully with the big girls. One of the little girls has started to lay and one more will be laying annnny day now. Question, what is the best food to supplement for the molting girls?

I currently do a non soy layer pellet at 16% calcium from green mountain feeds for all the girls.. should I be supplementing a feather fixer or chick crumbles as a daily scratch treat to up the protein?

Let me know how you all handle mixed flocks and feeding!

Thanks in advance for your help!

http://www.greenmountainfeeds.com/products/poultry/organic-soy-free-layer-pellets/

• Minimum Lysine0.5%
• Minimum Methionine0.3%
• Minimum Crude Protein16%
• Minimum Crude Fat3.25%
• Maximum Crude Fiber 6.5%
• Minimum Calcium3.9%
• Maximum Calcium4.65%
• Minimum Phosphorus0.65%
• Minimum Salt0.2%
• Maximum Salt0.3%

Ingredients:Organic Corn, Organic Flaxseed Meal, Organic Wheat Middlings, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Canola Meal, Fishmeal (Menhaden Mechanically Extruded), Organic Alfalfa Meal, Organic Whole Grain Barley, DiCalcium Phosphate, Oystershell, Organic Kelp meal, Diatomaceous Earth, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate, Methionine – 99%, Biomos, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin, Calcium D-Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine HCL, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate.

This Product does not contain soy, soy products, or soy by-products. Due to this, other sources of protein are used to meet the amino-acid requirements of your chickens. The sources used in this formulation are Organic Flaxseed meal, Organic Canola Meal. Using these alternative forms of protein will cause slightly lower production levels than a soy based feed.

 

[DobieLover]

feathers eeeverywhere I gooooo (set to the tune of it's beginning to look a lot like Christ-mas!)

question for all you flock experts out there... I have a flock of 7 hens, 3 are older and molting and not currently laying and 4 are juveniles at 20 weeks and have just come off of the chick crumbles and are co-habitating peacefully with the big girls. One of the little girls has started to lay and one more will be laying annnny day now. Question, what is the best food to supplement for the molting girls?

I currently do a non soy layer pellet at 16% calcium from green mountain feeds for all the girls.. should I be supplementing a feather fixer or chick crumbles as a daily scratch treat to up the protein?

Let me know how you all handle mixed flocks and feeding!

Thanks in advance for your help!

http://www.greenmountainfeeds.com/products/poultry/organic-soy-free-layer-pellets/

• Minimum Lysine0.5%
• Minimum Methionine0.3%
• Minimum Crude Protein16%
• Minimum Crude Fat3.25%
• Maximum Crude Fiber 6.5%
• Minimum Calcium3.9%
• Maximum Calcium4.65%
• Minimum Phosphorus0.65%
• Minimum Salt0.2%
• Maximum Salt0.3%

Ingredients:Organic Corn, Organic Flaxseed Meal, Organic Wheat Middlings, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Canola Meal, Fishmeal (Menhaden Mechanically Extruded), Organic Alfalfa Meal, Organic Whole Grain Barley, DiCalcium Phosphate, Oystershell, Organic Kelp meal, Diatomaceous Earth, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate, Methionine – 99%, Biomos, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin, Calcium D-Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine HCL, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate.

This Product does not contain soy, soy products, or soy by-products. Due to this, other sources of protein are used to meet the amino-acid requirements of your chickens. The sources used in this formulation are Organic Flaxseed meal, Organic Canola Meal. Using these alternative forms of protein will cause slightly lower production levels than a soy based feed.

It sounds like most of your flock is not laying yet they all are getting the extra calcium only layers need.
I would switch them over to an All Flock or Flock Raiser type of feed with 18-20% protein and containers of oyster shell on the side for the active layers.

 

[chickens really]

That's not an actual molt but a juvenile molt. Just continue to feed them as you have been..

 

[mrskenmore]

That's not an actual molt but a juvenile molt. Just continue to feed them as you have been..

Hi there- the molt that is happening is only with my older girls (ages 3 and 5).. so I was thinking to up the protein all around to help them with the molt...

 

[chickens really]

Hi there- the molt that is happening is only with my older girls (ages 3 and 5).. so I was thinking to up the protein all around to help them with the molt...

Oh..Dry cat food helps tossed out as a treat every few days.

 

[Mosey2003]

I would see if that company sells a higher protein non-layer feed, that would serve you well. Sometimes both a 20% and 18% all flock or grower is offered, I would use the 20% through the molt and then drop down to the 18%, if that's an option. I like that the feed you're using includes fish meal, that's good stuff. You can also give them more meat products like mealworms or even a few sardines a day if you find them on sale (in water, not oil).

Anyway, I always prefer to feed a non-layer feed because I like the birds that are laying to choose their own calcium via oyster shell free choice rather than giving non-laying birds extra calcium they aren't using.

 

[MIchickenlady]

I've learned to not give many fruit or non-protein treats, esp when molting.
So lately, because my gals are molting too, I give pumpkin seeds, scrambled eggs, tuna, sunflower seeds, mealworms