Well i got out of the chicken game a while back but it seems i have been sucked back in lol! To make a long story short i was able to save a small flock of layer pullets around 15 barred rocks and 15 RIR's from an owner who obviously did not have them on full feed and water through the beggining part of their lives. All he told me was he bought them from a hatchery as chicks and they were vaccinated for merricks. Just didn't have the time for them. They are approaching 7 months old and have yet to lay an egg. There are obvious size differences...some look as small as 4 months old and others look the part of 7 months but they all have one thing in common, they all have extremley sharp brest bones. Where the breast muscles should be are littleraly next to nothing other than skin and bone.
As of now they are on full medicated Layena sunfresh chick food mixed with cracked corn, as well as full water. I litterally have no experiance if trying to save or bring back laying pullets back to their full potential via another persons neglect. So...what are some tips you guys can give me? I mean are they doomed to never lay eggs because of their obvious stunted growth?? Or can they be fed back to life, gaining muscle mass, and just getting to a nice fat, fluffy, happy hen status? Im open to buying special foods, oils, oats, anything that will help put some weight on these girls. Eventually i would love to get them laying solid eggs so i can give them to my family and friends every week.
I have check for sighs of disease and lice and other things that would indicate any type of illness, but i can't find anything other than they are skinny and about twice as small as they should be at 7 months, and of corse no egg production yet. Any type of tips or info you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated. I hope i can save these girls and start seeing and tasteing thoes delicious farm fresh brown eggs i was acustom to eating a while back. Thanks for your time and i hope you guys can help me out!
As of now they are on full medicated Layena sunfresh chick food mixed with cracked corn, as well as full water. I litterally have no experiance if trying to save or bring back laying pullets back to their full potential via another persons neglect. So...what are some tips you guys can give me? I mean are they doomed to never lay eggs because of their obvious stunted growth?? Or can they be fed back to life, gaining muscle mass, and just getting to a nice fat, fluffy, happy hen status? Im open to buying special foods, oils, oats, anything that will help put some weight on these girls. Eventually i would love to get them laying solid eggs so i can give them to my family and friends every week.
I have check for sighs of disease and lice and other things that would indicate any type of illness, but i can't find anything other than they are skinny and about twice as small as they should be at 7 months, and of corse no egg production yet. Any type of tips or info you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated. I hope i can save these girls and start seeing and tasteing thoes delicious farm fresh brown eggs i was acustom to eating a while back. Thanks for your time and i hope you guys can help me out!