My chickens are sooo skinny!

[backyardfeedco]

While your point about amino acid balance is important, this statement is not accurate.

Layer feed is designed to be the most cost-effective means of supporting high-production, commercial-strain layers through their initial productive period up to their first molt, at which time they are culled. It is not designed to support dual-purpose breeds in optimal health over many years.

The majority of the experienced chicken keepers here recommend 18-20% all-flock feed with calcium on the side as more appropriate for backyard flocks.

It differs on a case-by-case basis. A chicken will only eat as much protein as it needs to sustain its energy levels, so it will never eat too much protein. But protein percentages in feed are formulated to account for this to make sure the chicken gets enough nutrients for the amount of feed it’s consuming.

In other words, a hen eating a 22% feed is going to get full faster than a hen eating 17% feed and ultimately eat less food since its energy needs are being met. But since a layer breed doesn’t actually need as much protein as a broiler, it won’t eat enough feed to get the amount of nutrients and amino acids needed for a healthy bird. That’s why you shouldn’t give your chickens too many high protein treats like mealworms, since they won’t eat enough of their feed.

 

[saysfaa]

I have heard of chickens eating to meet their energy requirements. It is in textbooks on feeding poultry. But protein and carbs provide about the same amount of calories so tilting a few percent between the two doesn't affect their feed intake.

If you try to increase protein by feeding mealworms, they would eat less feed to meet their energy needs but it would be because the mealworms are so high in fat.

 

[3KillerBs]

It differs on a case-by-case basis. A chicken will only eat as much protein as it needs to sustain its energy levels, so it will never eat too much protein. But protein percentages in feed are formulated to account for this to make sure the chicken gets enough nutrients for the amount of feed it’s consuming.

In other words, a hen eating a 22% feed is going to get full faster than a hen eating 17% feed and ultimately eat less food since its energy needs are being met. But since a layer breed doesn’t actually need as much protein as a broiler, it won’t eat enough feed to get the amount of nutrients and amino acids needed for a healthy bird. That’s why you shouldn’t give your chickens too many high protein treats like mealworms, since they won’t eat enough of their feed.

@U_Stormcrow understands the math on this better than I do.

Unlike commercial layers, backyard birds generally have free access to plenty of lower-protein options such as pasture.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

It differs on a case-by-case basis. A chicken will only eat as much protein as it needs to sustain its energy levels, so it will never eat too much protein. But protein percentages in feed are formulated to account for this to make sure the chicken gets enough nutrients for the amount of feed it’s consuming.

In other words, a hen eating a 22% feed is going to get full faster than a hen eating 17% feed and ultimately eat less food since its energy needs are being met. But since a layer breed doesn’t actually need as much protein as a broiler, it won’t eat enough feed to get the amount of nutrients and amino acids needed for a healthy bird. That’s why you shouldn’t give your chickens too many high protein treats like mealworms, since they won’t eat enough of their feed.

While there is some truth here, there is also a lot of error. Yes, chickens will adjust diet somewhat to meet net energy needs, and they will adjust somewhat to meet protein needs, and they will adjust somewhat to meet other needs (we count on them, for instance, to self regulate calcium with free choice oyster shell) - but feeding incomplete or imbalanced proteins can result in deficiencies even when the protein % is met. and chickens can develop all sorts of faty, health impairing, conditions when eating beyond their energy needs. Balance is key. Chicken's trigger for when to stop eating is not an on/off switch with a single test condition.

You shouldn't feed too many high protein treats like mealworms or BOSS because they are also extremely high in fat, and in the case of BOSS, a less than complete protein as well. Finally, there is MUCH dispute in the literature about how much energy a chicken needs each day to maintain optimum condition, and probably 3x as much dispute about how to measure it.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have 5 hens - 3 black sexlinks and 2 wheat marans. I have been struggling for several months now trying to figure out why my hens are so skinny...I mean bony! I have watched their poop and no sign of worms (I called my vet but because they "don't treat chickens" they wouldn't even do a stool sample???) I have also watched for mites - nothing! They free ranged all summer as well as had crumbles readily available at all times. My mom was giving them too many treats which I had to cut way back. I am now restricting their free ranging (I figure there's so few bugs this time of year anyway) and have changed the 16% crumbles to 22% mini pellets. I give them just a bit of scratch a couple times a week and have given them fresh cut turnip greens a few times. One is molting but I'm still down to 1 egg a day maybe 2 if I'm lucky. What can I do to help put some weight on them and increase egg production? They aren't too keen on the pellets either but I've stopped giving them anything else in an effort to straighten their diets out. I figure they will eat them or go hungry - which I really don't think they would do. I'm worried that they won't do well in the winter cold this thin. They are supposed to be all less than 2 yrs old.

Also on a side note...do chicken feathers go white as they age? I have one that came to me with a few little white spots on her head and now she has quite a few??

Thanks in advance!!!

I hate to say this, but moderate expectations. The most critical time of a bird's diet is in its first months of growth, when needs for certain limiting amino acids are highest. It is absolutely the worst time to be offering a high treat diet, and a very common mistake by new owners. While I can't give you anything with the veneer of a range of percentages or other illusion of scientific rigor (particularly with hybrids), the literature does agree broadly that chicks fed a deficient diet (particularly in methionine and lysine) in their first months will never fully recover, and will always be "less" than they could have been.

That's not to say you can't put weight on your birds, and end up with a good chicken body condition score - and its very reasonable that you try - just that the end result will be a smaller, less robust bird than you could have had under more perfect conditions - similar to the way children raised in extreme poverty conditions tend to forever be stunted, more prone to illness, etc. The skeletal and muscular frameworks just don't get laid down as well in their childhood and adolescence. How severe is a factor of which deficiencies, for how long, a.n.d with what severity. We can only generalize here.

What are you feeding now? (Brand, Label description)?

Its very common for chicken patterns to change from birth thru adolescence into adulthood - its something I've been watching with interest in my mutts - though I mostly see the reverse, white birds with a few black spots that develop more black leakage as they age up. I've not seen white leakage in a black sex link, myself, but I have very limited experience with them. Also, I am VERY bad with chicken genetics - I look to other psoters here for assistance.

 

[mertzee]

They were well beyond pullet age when I got them. While I don’t know their exact age they were already laying for a few months when I got them.

I was feeding Dumor and Producer’s Pride from TSC then I just switched to the Co-Op brand. I honestly don’t know one feed from another so with my luck I’ve gotten the worst for them.

They have been limited to to their 13.5’ x 18’ run for a couple weeks now and given them a much more strict diet. I give them a little scratch a couple times a week and a coule corn cobs leftover from dinner but other than that they have the 22% mini pellets to eat. I know the weather has been a bit crazy but I have gotten now I think 3 eggs in about a week or so.
A friend just gave me suet block she made herself I put out on Friday. I just don’t have a clue what else to try??

 

[U_Stormcrow]

With winter upon us (assuming you are Northern hemisphere) and the shorter days, laying activity will be expected to be reduced, as well. Keep them on a higher protein diet thru the winter, continue to cut the treats, re-evaluate come spring. Your BSL should be good layers. The Marans, less is expected of them.

 

[mertzee]

With winter upon us (assuming you are Northern hemisphere) and the shorter days, laying activity will be expected to be reduced, as well. Keep them on a higher protein diet thru the winter, continue to cut the treats, re-evaluate come spring. Your BSL should be good layers. The Marans, less is expected of them.

I’m actually in the South (TN) but we have had some crazy weather. Down in the 20s last night and in the 40s today but has been in 50s-60s range for the last few weeks. One of the BSLs is definitely molting but the others don’t appear to be. The 3 eggs I have gotten are from my little Olive egger maran oddly enough.

I think I may try to make them some mash with the new higher protein pellets this week too.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I’m actually in the South (TN) but we have had some crazy weather. Down in the 20s last night and in the 40s today but has been in 50s-60s range for the last few weeks. One of the BSLs is definitely molting but the others don’t appear to be. The 3 eggs I have gotten are from my little Olive egger maran oddly enough.

I think I may try to make them some mash with the new higher protein pellets this week too.

TN is still northern hemisphere. I'm in FL. Was 34 overnight, I ran the sprinklers to protect the citrus, as we had a frost warning. The cold doesn't affect the rate of lay, the ambient light levels do, and ours is declining (yours more than mine).

 

[Perris]

A chicken will only eat as much protein as it needs to sustain its energy levels, so it will never eat too much protein.

what is the basis / authority for this statement? I think it would be news to my flock, who seem not to know it.

lower-protein options such as pasture

grass typically contains 16-28% protein https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/animals/dairy/Whats_in_Grass_Todays_Farm_May2014.pdf