New chickens' poop really stinks!

[aart]

I'm making a mix for her, crushing a little corn and mixing a ton of sunflower seeds and a little barley, flax, oats, and pellets together. She mostly wants the sunflower seeds and corn. I'm trying to put some weight on her.

I'd cut out all the extras, just the pellets.
What kind of pellets, protein and calcium percentages?

I dont suspect her of having sour crop now, but I'd like to know if the water that shot out of her mouth was related in any way.

That can happen when they drink too much too fast.
Or her crop may not be emptying properly.
To check crop function, put her in a crate at night with no feed or water,
check crop at night then again in morning before feeding/watering again.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I don't know much about sour crop, but i suspected that was happening one day, maybe a week and a half ago. She leaned down to eat and a small amount of water shot out of her mouth.

I'm making a mix for her, crushing a little corn and mixing a ton of sunflower seeds and a little barley, flax, oats, and pellets together. She mostly wants the sunflower seeds and corn

Her injury coincided with my buying new feed, pellets instead of crumbles...None of the chickens seem super interested in the new feed.

I dont suspect her of having sour crop now, but I'd like to know if the water that shot out of her mouth was related in any way.

It's not that uncommon for water to come out of the beak when a bird has been drinking. If it only happened the one time and her crop is empty/flat in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink, then likely it's fine.

If your birds are not keen on the new feed, then try giving it as a wet mash. I would try to encourage her to eat her normal feed since it should be nutritionally balanced. Adding "extras" like sunflower, corn, etc. can dilute the protein content of what's she getting. (as well as the others if that's what they are eating too)
I understand you are trying to get her to eat since she was injured - a few enticements are always a good idea, but chickens will usually always be more interested in corn, seeds, etc. over their normal feed.

Let her gain weight naturally - the extras can actually put fat on a laying hen where it's not desired - in the abdomen and around the organs. The fat can then contribute to Fatty Liver Disease. Fat hens can also have trouble laying eggs and may be prone to prolapse as well.

Getting a weight on her now and tracking it will tell you if she's gaining a bit. You don't want her fat though.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chickens-obesity-silent-killer-how-to/

 

[Birdielee]

The covid stay-at-home order was just lifted in my state a few days ago. I figure on buying some crumbles. I think she'll eat them.

 

[Birdielee]

I tried the new feed wet
None of the 3 ate it.
I tried fermenting it. Instead of smelling delicious like bread dough, it smelled like strong cheese. It was nasty and the hens thought so, too.

The new feed is called New Country Organics. Soy free layer feed.
Protein 17% calcium 3.5-4.5 %

I like the ingredients, and the 2 separate hens will eat it. They seem to prefer the layena omega3, though. The injured hen is not into it at all. She grew up on dumor layer crumbles. When i got her 2 mos ago, i got dumor layer crumbles, but the organic version. I think it was expired. It smelled nasty. At the same time, I got a bag of dumor organic grower crumbles on discount. I switched to that, but she made such a mess that I started wetting, then fermenting it. She liked it wet, and especially fermented, but she didn't eat much dry. I was hoping the pellets would prevent so much waste.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

With pellets there does seem to be less waste. If she's keen on wet feed, you can always soak the pellets and give them as a wet mash.

 

[aart]

I tried the new feed wet
None of the 3 ate it.
I tried fermenting it. Instead of smelling delicious like bread dough, it smelled like strong cheese. It was nasty and the hens thought so, too.

The new feed is called New Country Organics. Soy free layer feed.
Protein 17% calcium 3.5-4.5 %

I like the ingredients, and the 2 separate hens will eat it. They seem to prefer the layena omega3, though. The injured hen is not into it at all. She grew up on dumor layer crumbles. When i got her 2 mos ago, i got dumor layer crumbles, but the organic version. I think it was expired. It smelled nasty. At the same time, I got a bag of dumor organic grower crumbles on discount. I switched to that, but she made such a mess that I started wetting, then fermenting it. She liked it wet, and especially fermented, but she didn't eat much dry. I was hoping the pellets would prevent so much waste.

Always check the manufacturing date before buying.
That's a lot of changes!
Over what period of time was all this tried?

 

[Birdielee]

Always check the manufacturing date before buying.
That's a lot of changes!
Over what period of time was all this tried?

2 1/2 mos.
I tried to get the same food she had been eating. But it didn't work out. I tried wetting the feed after she let it sit around all day. Then she'd eat it. Since she liked that, when I read about fermenting on here, I tried it, and she liked it.
And then I got the new feed, and still had enough of the old to mix with it and transition, and she got hurt 1 day later. Since then everything's been sort of nuts.
So I'm figuring on buying some crumbles for her and taking it from there. The other 2 are ok with the feed I bought. And they all like the violets, plantains and dandelion leaves i toss in their runs every day

 

[Birdielee]

I just ordered equimax paste. Now I need to find out if I can treat the rabbit with it, too

 

[Birdielee]

So she's not able to eat or she's not willing to eat?
Is her crop emptying overnight? After 3wks, I would expect her to be eating fairly well on her own. With antibiotic use, she may have sour crop? Something worth checking on.

Should her crop feel soft and sandy sometimes?

 

[Birdielee]

I got the equimax horse paste. I also got layena crumbles for Ellis (the injured hen. I think she's eating some of it.
One thread i read said i have to dose twice, 10 days apart AND there's a 2 week egg withdrawl AFTER the second dose.
Is this true?