My chickens are eating bird seed off the ground

[Loghousemom]

I agree with Fred. I they are sick and being tube fed then she probably aren't healthy enough to go out, however, if they are venturing outside and doing alright, I would allow it and discontinue the tube feeding. Chickens were meant to be outside scratching in the dirt eating bugs and plants, and as long as there is dirt and some rocks around, they will find the grit they need.

What sort of food are you feeding them? If you are tube feeding and they are still not gaining, maybe it is the nutrition content of the food? I see a mixed message from the fact that they are outside, but being tube fed.

 

[melinda653]

Here's the short version of what's wrong....I had to move for work and took them with me. One of them died because they got sick. The remaining two started to lose weight. I moved home and took them to the vet. They got tested and had a nasty strain of E. coli and klebsiella pneumonia, along with a fungal infection. They were on antibiotics for two weeks and antifungal meds for a month (still on the antifunal for two more weeks). Both meds make them lose their appetites. They won't eat their regular food no matter what I try to do to it to make it tasty. They have lost 1/3 of their weight. I am tube feeding them baby bird food because without it they would not even maintain their current weight. They don't get enough from foraging to sustain themselves. I am hoping that once they are done with their meds, they will get their appetite back and will start to eat their regular food. One has stopped laying completely and one has slowed down significantly. I have decided to not let them out anymore until they are done with their meds in an attempt to try to make them eat their food. This is day two of confinement and so far they haven't touched their food. Whenever I find bugs in the yard, I will catch them and put them in the coop and they will eat them. I am just trying to get them interested in their regular food again.

 

[Loghousemom]

I have not had chickens for long, 2.5 years, but I know that my chickens go nuts over any sort of real grains, wild bird food included. If they are eating that, offer them some grit and maybe mix the wild bird seed with their food to help get their weight up.

My birds also go wild for things like oatmeal, yogurt and scrambled eggs! I would think if your goal is to get them to eat, I would try lots of things until you see their weight improve.

I also recommend the unpasturized apple cider vinager in their water, and if you can find a way, maybe try fermented feed. There are several great threads on this board regarding those topics.

Also, how old are these birds?

 

[melinda653]

They are only a year old and I have tried everything to get them to eat. Their anitfungal medicine goes in the water right now along with some vitamin supplement. I am hoping once they are off the meds, their appetite will return. I tried to let them go without tube feeding, but their weight was plummeting daily. They were down to almost 4 lbs. each. They are a Rhode Island Red and a Black Sex Link. They should be closer to 6 lbs. You can feel their breast bones, they are so skinny.

I put yogurt with their pellets along with corn and make a mash type feed which they used to eat, but they stopped since they started taking meds. I have no idea what fermented feed is, but I will look into it. They weren't into the scrambled eggs or even hard boiled ones. What do you mean by "grit?"

 

[appps]

When I had one that had a nasty cough and was antibiotics her food went mostly untouched but if I took her pellets and poored a little hot water over it and then stired and let cool to warm it was suddenly delicious and she would gobble it down. So you could try that. I'd also sprinkle a little grit over it before stirring just to help with all those bird seeds

I would also scramble up some eggs and mix that through for mine and it would probably help yours too.

Oh and that gets me back to the original question and how I got sidetracked lol I've given mine birdseed sprinkled over the warm mash combo above to also encourage them to eat it so you could use their favourite food to encourage them back on the regular.

And just an FYI mine eat a lot less feed when they free range. On that bit I'd be ignoring the vet so they would concentrate on their feed which will be more fattening than the grass. I'd only let them out for a little while before bed.

Good luck!!

 

[melinda653]

I will try the hot water and food thing. I am going to look into fermented feed. I am trying to read through the tons of threads on how to make it. I keep seeing people mention "grit" but I am not sure what they mean by it. I am totally new to this chicken raising thing.

 

[appps]

Yeah the grit confuses me too. I only had shell grit so I used that but I think there must be some other sort as well but I've never seen it anywhere to buy.

 

[suebee]

I agree to give them cooked eggs mixed with FRESH bird seed. I've had chickens for over 10 years and never lost one to them eating under the bird feeders but they were healthy to start with. I would mix (hide) starter crumbles in for extra protein.

 

[novagirl73]

Yeah the grit confuses me too. I only had shell grit so I used that but I think there must be some other sort as well but I've never seen it anywhere to buy.

I will try the hot water and food thing. I am going to look into fermented feed. I am trying to read through the tons of threads on how to make it. I keep seeing people mention "grit" but I am not sure what they mean by it. I am totally new to this chicken raising thing.

 

Have you looked into crushed granite grit?

 

[melinda653]

Crushed granite? Seriously? I do give them crushed oyster shells, which are like little rocks, in their food. Not sure if they are actually eating them. I give them ground up egg shells and ground up cuttlebone as well for calcium. Does this qualify as grit?