molting/protein?

[Irishhenman]

Sardines in oil are very good, and they are only about 60c a tin.
Some cheap cheese, it is very high in protein (can vary from 20-40%)
baked beans
meal worms and crickets
meat

 

[cp3hend]

I feel for you during this molting period. I have two going thru it also. I've always heard using dry cat food mixed in their mash because it is 30% protein. I also scrambled a couple of eggs a couple times a week. Also, there is a chicken food out there called "Feather Wise" but it is only 18% protein but is intended for molting chickens. I also give them sprouted grains that I sprout for them, as well as sunflower seeds. I'm vegetarian so I had a little problem giving them the cat food but I really love my chickens and want them to get thru this very stressful time. My one chicken hasn't laid an egg in over a month now. So good luck to you

 

[greenSearcher]

I am still reading so you may have already had this info, but the only way to get GMO free feed with our current labeling standards is to buy organic. Organic standards prohibit GMO grains or other foods. Most non GMO feed providers will tell you that they are either corn and soy free (the 2 biggest GMO grains). I get GMO free and not organic feed most of the time. The cost of GMO free feed can be a challenge at times, but it is worth it.

 

[greenSearcher]

If you wish to feed you girls yogurt, and folks keep preferring "Greek" yogurt, that is a great source of protein. If you are fortunate to have dairy animals, making your own yogurt from excess milk can keep the protein boost cheap. If you are like me and buy milk, you can still make yogurt for less than commercial products that will be free from gelatin and other additives or thickeners following the directions at http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/yogurt_making/YOGURT2000.htm (explore his other pages for great skills). I can make 4.5 qts of thick yogurt from 1 gallon of milk, 8 oz freshest Dannon plain yogurt made with milk, and up to 4T dried milk powder(increases the milk solids). I follow his instructions except that I wrap the jars in a towel and place them in my dehydrator and set the thermostat at 85-90 F. It takes about 4 hours to get a batch. Each batch costs me less than $6 or less than .40 per cup. For thick yogurt do not stir the finished product, scoop into the feeding dish instead. Real Greek yogurt is strained to increase the milk solids making it nice and thick, but commercial Greek yogurt is thickened with gelatin or other food product thickeners, not really increasing the milk solids.

 

[greenSearcher]

Layena, the brand name for a number of poultry foods including Feather Fixer is a Nutrena Animal Feed product. For all the raves, it still contains GMO grains, Nutrena has no GMO free feeds. I am picky about GMOs because it has been demonstrated that GMOs can affect fertility, and egg laying is all about fertility. And besides it is part of my sales plan, not only do the eggs taste great they are great! I am the only one in my community that sells GMO free eggs. Oh they are US and Canada suppliers.

 

[bluewaterranch]

I have raised chicken all my life and have never had chickens molt. At least you never see them molt. I see a few lost feathers from time to time, but the chickens never look bare. I feed them with a treat bowl twice a week with a mixture of Poultry Conditioning Mix, Lone Star #1274 and NutriBoost with oyster shell and a scoop of Sun Flower Seeds. I put this in a plastic Pitcher, sprinkle the mixture with the packaged Vitamins and Electrolytes, then shake it up and pour in into the treat bowls in each pen. The bowls are the rubber hog feeders. I keep 20% lay pellets in full time feeders in each pen. The chickens love the treats and look forward to getting their treat mix. I also darkens the Marans eggs and makes the yolk orange rather than yellow. Makes the feathers grow back faster than they lose them so you never see bare or ugly chickens. The feathers are always bright in color and very shiny with this feeding program. Before they came out with the high nutrition feeds, I would go to the local meat market and buy all their trimmings for the chickens. I never feed any bread or corn products since it only makes them fat and fat hens do not lay eggs.
I hopes this helps someone else.
Helen Byers

 

[greenSearcher]

With you additional comment I think he was shedding the last of his juvenile feathers before growing his adult plumage. I have noticed my pullets doing that about a month before they start laying.

 

[greenSearcher]

You might want to check her for parasites. If she has mites she will suffer from anemia; worms will consume the nutrients in her gut. When I feed back eggs to my hens, I scramble them and stir in a good Tablespoon of Chili pepper flakes. Do that every few weeks, haven't noticed any worms in the poo. Speaking of poo, flax seed can cause loose stools for chickens (it is a noticeable difference).
She is young to be molting. I suspect part of the feather loss is she may be the rooster's favorite and he is breaking her feathers when he mounts her. The roosters will differ in the way the mount the hen, most tend to wear on the hens feather above the tail, often leaving just the downy feathers, but my recently deceased (**** dogs) rooster would stand higher on the hens backs damaging the feathers on the wings. My girls look rather ratty but aren't molting and already I am seeing regrowth after a week of no Buddy. She also can be the victim of feather picking, possibility indicated by the fact all the other girls are well feathered (she is their source of protein).
Your chickens are becoming sexually mature and the ratio of 7 hens for 1 rooster is a bit low. I suspect you will see your hens will looked well used rather quickly. I have found having 10+ hens per rooster prevents a lot of the wear and tear the girls get over a year.
You may want to give your overstressed hen a small high protein treat for just herself. Great way to make you her buddy. A couple ounces of yogurt, cheese, left over meat or cooked egg (great way to use the cracked egg or stained shell not suited for selling)

 

[chickerdoodle]

I use dry mealworms which are easy to get on-line (Happy Hens Treats is the brand I have used). I also toss a big handful of BOSS (Black Oiled Sunflower Seeds) to them two to three times a week during molting season. For four hens I give them about four -six heaping tablespoons a day of the mealworms right on top of their organic mash. I do mix in some water or on a rare occasion a veggie baby food (warm water this time of year) which gets them to eat all the powdery vitamin mix. Their normal mash has fish meal in it which is a great and easily digestible protein which I prefer over soy as soy is almost always a GMO.

This year (their third) I gave them about half the amount of these mealworms every other day as a treat throughout the year. I read that giving them a little extra protein as they get older keeps them laying well. This flock will be four years old this spring and still laid as well as their first year! I will see how they do this next year....

My hens not only do great throughout the molting process but still keep nice, reddish upright combs and occasionally still lay an egg during the molt !

Another poster mentioned check for parasites and I second that!! I have a "flock fecal" tested by the avian vet every year

 

[alandbailey]

My chooks and ducks are either going through the moult or have just finished. I feed them non-GM layer pellets, cider vinegar in their water, bread as a treat in the afternoon. The chooks get my leftover meals and kitchen waste - all my compost now get is the used poultry bedding when I muck them out. A farmer who takes my surplus eggs takes a tray for his own kitchen, despite having bigger free range eggs from other suppliers - he says mine are the tastiest. I buy reduced price spam,ham,green veg etc at supermarkets for the girls.
The only deaths I have had this year were 2 Goldline ex-batts that died from heart failure. They went peacefully.
BTW I agree with cat food and cheese but I prefer to keep scrambled eggs for myself.
They also have mixed corn in the afternoon.

I live in Somerset, England.