Over eating

[misshell]

A few of my pullets are gorging by the end of the day and not on feed, but dirt, or whatever else they can find inside their run until their crops are enormous. Are they missing something from their diets? I feed them Scratch and Peck. It's available at all times and I will add water to an extra bowl of it in the mornings, so they eat the finely grounded up part of the feed too. Grit and oyster shells are always available also. They get a small amount of mealworms, or canned sardines with no salt and no added oil for a little extra protein. They go berserk for those. Curious if I am doing something wrong, if they are missing something from their diet, or is this normal chicken behavior? I believe the pullets who are gorging are the ones who just started laying eggs.

 

[cherrynberry]

A few of my pullets are gorging by the end of the day and not on feed, but dirt, or whatever else they can find inside their run until their crops are enormous. Are they missing something from their diets? I feed them scratch and peck. It's available at all times and I will add water to an extra bowl of it in the mornings, so they eat the finely grounded up part of the feed too. Grit and oyster shells are always available also. They get a small amount of mealworms, or canned sardines with no salt and no added oil for a little extra protein. They go berserk for those. Curious if I am doing something wrong, if they are missing something from their diet, or is this normal chicken behavior? I believe the pullets who are gorging are the ones who just started laying eggs.

Usually hens get fairly big sacks. My comets have had sacks once been as big as around a smaller tennis ball. They digest it all by the morning and has not caused any problems. My pullets however store about 2 to 3 tBsps of food. If they have no more in the mornings it should be fine just make sure they are not hard or supper huge!

 

[FarmerGirl101]

The one thing I'm noticing is that they have free access to scratch and peck. Scratch and treats should only be about 10% of their diet

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Scratch and Peck is a brand name, isn't it? What is it you are feeding them exactly? Is it scratch, a mixture of corn and other grains you can identify by looking at it? Or is it pellets or crmbles? What does it say on the bag? Does it say something like layer feed, all-flock, grower crumbles, or anything like that? Or does it say fancy scratch?

 

[misshell]

The one thing I'm noticing is that they have free access to scratch and peck. Scratch and treats should only be about 10% of their diet

Scratch and Peck is the brand of their grower feed, not treats!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yeah, it sounds like they are not getting a balanced diet. Can you post a picture of the feed bag?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sorry for the confusion, just trying to understand and help.

 

[misshell]

Scratch and Peck is a brand name, isn't it? What is it you are feeding them exactly? Is it scratch, a mixture of corn and other grains you can identify by looking at it? Or is it pellets or crmbles? What does it say on the bag? Does it say something like layer feed, all-flock, grower crumbles, or anything like that? Or does it say fancy scratch?

I do not have a bag on me right now, but it is a brand of grower feed. I can identify it by looking at it. Looks like seeds and other things mixed up together. A lot of it is powdery though. Thats why I add some in a separate bowl mixed with water so they get all of the feed.

 

[misshell]

Sorry for the confusion, just trying to understand and help.

Thats ok! I hope my response made sense this time

 

[misshell]

Usually hens get fairly big sacks. My comets have had sacks once been as big as around a smaller tennis ball. They digest it all by the morning and has not caused any problems. My pullets however store about 2 to 3 tBsps of food. If they have no more in the mornings it should be fine just make sure they are not hard or supper huge!

Thanks! They do get pretty large. I'm more concerned with their eagerness to eat anything but their food by the end of the day