Necropsy results: Fatty Liver

[Perris]

There are scientists educated specifically in Poultry Nutrition who publish in accredited science journals, they have formulated the standardized diets for poultry.
They are employed by the poultry industry to help maintain millions of production fowl.

I'm sorry, but I've never viewed that fad diet author quoted in your thread as a legitimate source. An opinion piece does not compare well to biologically tested facts.

Tim Spector is a better scientist than anyone publishing in poultry science journals ( which I also read). It is a book, not an opinion piece. You appear not to have read even post 1 in that thread, or not understood it in any case.

 

[SourRoses]

Tim Spector is a better scientist than anyone publishing in poultry science journals ( which I also read). It is a book, not an opinion piece. You appear not to have read even post 1 in that thread, or not understood it in any case.

Actually I read many pages of the thread when you first posted it, but I chose not to argue with your choice and leave you the space to express yourself.
Honestly, I feel very concerned when people pick one guru to follow.
Probably because I've witnessed some guru stuff in a few different fields, one being horse training, that took on a life of its own and reached unhealthy heights. Suddenly no one is thinking about their relationship with their horse anymore, but whether they are following all the steps in the program to a T, and the horse better get in compliance or else because there's another clinic coming up and they don't want to disappoint the master.
Gives me the heeby jeebies!

 

[Perris]

Thanks for your reply, SourRoses. That's interesting - I didn't realize flapping wings required the most energy. Our Buff Orpington likes to chase the Black Australorp around the run, flapping and chasing her all around. The BA jumps up on perches, runs under logs, up on other perches, trying to get away. Perhaps they'll lose some of that fat I've been over feeding them in the way of meal worms and snacks. I can only hope. Don't know if they're working out the hierarchy thing still (been one week). I thought that was all worked out. The BO seems to be higher than the BA in the chain. My husband thought they were playing. Do chickens "play" in that way?
I'll stop plucking grass for them now too. Feeling guilty thinking I've been helping them all along.

You have been misled by some of the replies on this thread. Do not stop giving your chickens real food and replacing it with ultra processed homogenized stuff whose substance is unidentifiable on sight, if you want to give them the best you can.

 

[Perris]

Actually I read many pages of the thread when you first posted it, but I chose not to argue with your choice and leave you the space to express yourself.
Honestly, I feel very concerned when people pick one guru to follow.
Probably because I've witnessed some guru stuff in a few different fields, one being horse training, that took on a life of its own and reached unhealthy heights. Suddenly no one is thinking about their relationship with their horse anymore, but whether they are following all the steps in the program to a T, and the horse better get in compliance or else because there's another clinic coming up and they don't want to disappoint the master.
Gives me the heeby jeebies!

Science doesn't have gurus. I follow the science.

 

[SourRoses]

Thanks for your reply, SourRoses. That's interesting - I didn't realize flapping wings required the most energy. Our Buff Orpington likes to chase the Black Australorp around the run, flapping and chasing her all around. The BA jumps up on perches, runs under logs, up on other perches, trying to get away. Perhaps they'll lose some of that fat I've been over feeding them in the way of meal worms and snacks. I can only hope. Don't know if they're working out the hierarchy thing still (been one week). I thought that was all worked out. The BO seems to be higher than the BA in the chain. My husband thought they were playing. Do chickens "play" in that way?
I'll stop plucking grass for them now too. Feeling guilty thinking I've been helping them all along.

I don't think you should feel guilty, or carry too much anxiety about it.
Most pecking order behavior is not fun for them... as juveniles they'll chase each other around with joy, but once one or more in the group decides to exert dominance it all becomes more serious.
The most fun my chickens have is when they come out in the big grassy yard and are flying around and running. It's funny. But usually a bossy hen will decide when she's had enough excitement and come around to chastise everyone like schoolkids on a field trip.
Mine get grass, I'm not worried. I was just saying if a person is worried...

 

[Bawkbok]

Thank you. This food thing can send people into the land of utter confusion. I have four bags of various brands and levels of protein sitting around. What to do with all this feed? Geez. I'm over thinking it. The girls are thriving so I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I love them so much and just want to do right by them.

 

[Dynamissa]

Thank you. This food thing can send people into the land of utter confusion. I have four bags of various brands and levels of protein sitting around. What to do with all this feed? Geez. I'm over thinking it. The girls are thriving so I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I love them so much and just want to do right by them.

lmao I too have like 5 different bags of feed. Right there with you.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would urge the OP @Dynamissa to go back and read the article posted by Hendrix Genetics again in post 2, where it discusses eating high energy diets (carbs) and too much feed that can lead to fatty liver. This thread has gotten a little off topic with all of the opinions. Personally, I think that free ranging helps them control their intake of chicken feed, and the grasses, bugs, worms, and other things are part of the balance and good for them.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Meal worms for your chickens are a good treat -IF you raise the worms yourself. Look at that bag of dried mealworms from the store, the majority of them come from china, they don't feed them well. I'd guess they are fed garbage, a mealworm will eat anything if it doesn't have real food. You are what your food eats.

 

[Dynamissa]

I would urge the OP @Dynamissa to go back and read the article posted by Hendrix Genetics again in post 2, where it discusses eating high energy diets (carbs) and too much feed that can lead to fatty liver. This thread has gotten a little off topic with all of the opinions. Personally, I think that free ranging helps them control their intake of chicken feed, and the grasses, bugs, worms, and other things are part of the balance and good for them.

Yes totally I’m sure free ranging does, the issue is coming up with a suitable stand in for free ranging when ordinances forbid free roaming birds even in your own yard part of it might be trying to lobby to allow free roaming birds but that’s going to take a while.

I know there are portable chunnels, so I’ll look into that.