Need soft food ideas for weight gain

[Jemgraham]

One of our girls got a cut in her mouth (no idea how, X-rays showed nothing downstream). She’s been on antibiotics and anti inflammatories for two weeks and is a lot more cheerful but now she doesn’t go back to the vet for another week. She’s lost a lot of weight because it hurts to eat.

We’ve been giving her mash which is her commercial food soaked but she’s still even a bit hesitant about eating that. We add apple but what else can we give her to help her find food appealing again？ TIA!

 

[Apis mellifera]

Try canned catfood.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Scrambled eggs should be soft enough. Watermelon is always a hit but that is more for the water content. I would also supplement with poultry cell or nutridrench while she isn't eating as much so she still gets the needed vitamins and minerals. Plain greek yogurt is another super easy to eat food but I wouldn't feed exclusively that unless its the only thing she eats.

My other thinking is if you grind the commercial feed into a powder that it then might be softer when made into a mash. This way she still is getting a complete diet that is easy for her to eat.

Here is an article on BYC about chicken treats. I'm attaching it so you can have a much longer and more comprehensive lists of chicken safe treats that you might be able to make softer via cooking or that come naturally soft. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens.47738/

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Scrambled eggs, lowfat plain yogurt, canned cat food, fermented mash.

Hopes for a quick recovery.

 

[Altairsky]

lowfat plain yogurt

If she needs to gain weight I'd give her fatty plain yogurt. My skinniest chickens get cream soaked feed from my dairy cows and they have no issues with that.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If she needs to gain weight I'd give her fatty plain yogurt. My skinniest chickens get cream soaked feed from my dairy cows and they have no issues with that.

I was thinking 4%. Chickens don't store fat well, I'd not recommend trading one dietary problem for another. Obviously, healthy, active chickens not contained in little cages have dietary needs (including energy - often in the form of fat) higher than their cage kept others.

Note I did NOT recommend No Fat yogurt, which still has plenty of calories.