My Anna won't eat chicken feed?

[Heidi65]

I started a post about her losing 1/2 her weight. We have been watching her and haven't seen her eat any of her chicken feed. We thought maybe she didn't like the Layena any more so we went and bought a couple different types of food, Organic and Flock Raiser. She won't eat either of these!

A few days ago she found two baby mice and she scarfed both of them down then went out and scratched around and ate what ever she found. She is still the head hen in her coop and nobody messes with her. Her poop is watery with greens in it. We wormed her on the 26th.

John just out a mixture of cauliflour, tuna, cheese and some seeds from our parrot. She went nuts! She is eating it all with gusto.

Please help us, what can we feed her, commercial chicken food seems out of the question.

 

[Eggcessive]

Just be patient with her, and stop the treats unless she appears sick. Most any chicken will prefer to eat table food even if they are not hungry. About the only extra food I will give are some occasional chopped egg or a little plain yogurt mixed into the feed. For sick chickens, I give an egg daily, all they want. Usually if you add some water to your chicken feed, and even mix a little yogurt in, they will try some. If you haven't had her droppings checked by a local regular vet for cocci and worms, then that is a good place to start. Purina, Nutrena, and other major brands of feed whether they are organic or not, are all very good. But check the odor and color for any signs of mold. I have seen feed change overnight to a harsh chemical odor or blue-green color, from moisture getting into the feed. Mold can kill chickens very quickly. The part about eating the mice could be a key, just in case they had ingested rat killer.

 

[Eggcessive]

Additionally, I would check her crop for any signs of a sour crop or impacted crop. The crop should be mostly empty first thing in the morning, and gradually fill up during the day. I just read your other thread about her, and since she is 2 years old, she could be coming off a molt, or possibly having an internal laying problem. That can cause weight loss, and many other symptoms.

 

[Heidi65]

Her crop is empty in the morning. The mice she ate were alive before she got them so that isn't a problem there. The reason we are giving her so much extra is because she is now under 3 lbs and weighs nothing when you pick her up, we are scared to death of losing her. We will try adding some water to her feed and see if that helps.

I have things like
Bactrim 10% oral solution
Vet Rx
Nutri-Drench (High calorie nutritional supplement)
Electrolytes
Probyotic

Should we be giving her any of these?

 

[chickens really]

Does she get enough grit to help break down her feed to nutrients?..........
Try using her feed like a scratch grain to encourage her to forage........Water is the best......
Adding fillers only makes Birds worse......


Cheers!

 

[Heidi65]

She has a lot of out door ground to cover and we let them out for 2-3 hours a day. We have tried doing that and she will dab at it but really won't eat it, just pecks at it. She is all over our back yard when we let her and the rest of the girls out, we have a half acre so they have a nice size back yard for playing.

 

[chickens really]

She has a lot of out door ground to cover and we let them out for 2-3 hours a day. We have tried doing that and she will dab at it but really won't eat it, just pecks at it. She is all over our back yard when we let her and the rest of the girls out, we have a half acre so they have a nice size back yard for playing.

She may need to be locked up and retaught to eat the feed.......She will not starve herself...They do get picky if allowed to free range and choose their own food...


Cheers!

 

[Heidi65]

She may need to be locked up and retaught to eat the feed.......She will not starve herself...They do get picky if allowed to free range and choose their own food...


Cheers!

Chickens Really, meaning? Don't let her out to free range when we let the other out and keep her locked up? She has already lost 1/2 of her weight since the end of Aug and she can't really afford to lose much more.

 

[chickens really]

Quote: Yeah, actually.......You will have to try something to get her back on her feed........


It will not be hard to do......Chickens will not starve themselves....Put her on a grower grumble.....


Cheers!