Molting and feeding

[Nolagurl1956]

Hi, this does not fall in the emergency category, yet it seems like an emergency to me. Both of my hens are molting. No big deal, right? My concern is I can’t get them to eat anything. I have tried various flavors of wet cat food, canned tuna, Vienna sausages and Nooooo. The only food they will consider is meal worm. Should I be concerned? Thanks. Trying to be the best chickenmom I can be...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are they eating a ration?

 

[NatJ]

Do they have normal chicken food available? (It might be called layer feed, grower feed, chick starter feed, all-flock feed, flock raiser feed. Any of them will be fine.)

If they have chicken food, do they eat it?

If they're eating chicken food, then don't worry about them--they will be fine with just chicken food and water.

If they have chicken food but do not eat it, try getting a small amount wet with water and see if they like it that way--many chickens do.

 

[Nolagurl1956]

Are they eating a ration?

don’t know what a ration is???

 

[Nolagurl1956]

Do they have normal chicken food available? (It might be called layer feed, grower feed, chick starter feed, all-flock feed, flock raiser feed. Any of them will be fine.)

If they have chicken food, do they eat it?

If they're eating chicken food, then don't worry about them--they will be fine with just chicken food and water.

If they have chicken food but do not eat it, try getting a small amount wet with water and see if they like it that way--many chickens do.

yes they have feed available at all times and I have discovered they do like it when it has a little water added.
I have also tried yogurt which they normally do like on occasion but no interest in that either.

Okay, thanks. I will stop worrying.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

don’t know what a ration is???

A ration is a chicken feed, which sounds like you are feeding. The rest I wouldn't worry about feeding.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I would stick to the chicken feed. Some mealworms as treats isn't a bad idea, my flock love mealworms but people have flocks that won't even eat a mealworm.

 

[Nolagurl1956]

A ration is a chicken feed, which sounds like you are feeding. The rest I wouldn't worry about feeding.

great, thanks.

 

[Nolagurl1956]

I would stick to the chicken feed. Some mealworms as treats isn't a bad idea, my flock love mealworms but people have flocks that won't even eat a mealworm.

I read somewhere that during molting, chickens need lots of protein and meal worms are high in protein and another reason I have been trying to feed other foods.

 

[NatJ]

I read somewhere that during molting, chickens need lots of protein and meal worms are high in protein and another reason I have been trying to feed other foods.

They do need protein to grow new feathers--but if they have stopped laying eggs, they can use the same protein that would normally make eggs to make feathers now.

One of the easiest ways to give them extra protein is to feed chick starter for a while. You want it unmedicated, and you should put out a dish of oyster shell to provide calcium, because laying hens need more calcium than young chicks.

Chick starter is usually easy to get, not too expensive, tastes good to chickens, has an appropriate balance of all the nutrients chickens need, and typically has more protein than most other chicken foods. (Read the label to be sure about the protein level.)