Picky eaters?

[supersara]

I seem to have the opposite problem of everyone else. My girls like fruits and rice, table scraps like that, but turn up their beaks at most veggies and greens. More to the point, it seems like they are really hungry all the time even though I scatter pellets on the ground (they free range in my backyard) and there is a hopper-style feeder with pellets available 24/7. They act like they are starving to death, even though there is food is sitting right there!

I don't know if this makes a difference, but a few months ago, one of them needed meds which I put on some food and then hand-fed to her (to make sure she got it and not the others). The others also wanted to be hand-fed so I indulged them while I was medicating the one hen. But I do not have enough time to keep doing it every day, and I am frustrated that they don't eat food that I put out for them! Does anyone have suggestions?

 

[Den in Penn]

Welcome to BYC.
If they free range they are eating all the time that they aren't laying or trying to beat the heat. So when you come with a something they like and can't get free ranging of course they will mob you and act greedy. When you free range and the eating is good, it may seem as if they are not eating much, that's a benefit of them finding some of their own food. So you don't need to put as much food. Also with them find their own fresh greens having you bring some not quite as fresh greens wouldn't excite them as much as in the winter or dry times in the summer. As to wanting to be hand fed, treat them as you would any child and say not today.

 

[supersara]

Thank you, I hadn't thought of it that way before! One question: how do I know they are truly getting enough to eat? How do I tell the difference between being crazed for food because it's a treat vs. crazed for food because they are truly hungry?

Thank you!

 

[Den in Penn]

If there is still food in the feeder at the end of the day they are getting enough. If there is food in the feeder they are not starving, while mobbing you for the treat.

 

[donrae]

If they're really hungry, they'll eat anything edible around. Really, they don't need much to eat each day, I think 4 oz or 1/4 cup feed was the number I've seen thrown around. I think a lot of folks overestimate how much the birds need to eat each day.

 

[Javafan]

If they're really hungry, they'll eat anything edible around. Really, they don't need much to eat each day, I think 4 oz or 1/4 cup feed was the number I've seen thrown around. I think a lot of folks overestimate how much the birds need to eat each day.

Wow ! I give my 3 hens (2 Javas and 1 Wyandotte) 2 cups of pellets a day (there is usually about 1/2 to 1/3 left everyday), some yougurt every other day because their poop is runny more than before and 2 slices of bred every other day. They also get 4-6 big leaf of lettuce. Lately they have been snobing the pellets. I forgot, they also get 1 1/2 cup of scratch/day, some crushed egg shells and oyste shell at will, and they free range, but my backyard is not that big so I don't know what they eat really. I am feeding them too much? They too run like ravenous zombies when I come with some treats.

2 of the 3 hens are not laying anymore. One Java's last egg was May 17, the Wyandotte has stopped 4 weeks ago after producing 3 soft shelled eggs.

I can feel their breastbones still. I am stuffing them too much? Is this why they don't lay anymore? Could it be the pellets?

 

[Attila the Hen]

I asked the same question and Specklehen referred me to a post entitled "Why aren't my hens laying?" You can find it if you search. One of the things it said was that feeding treats might upset egg laying. I will still feed treats as I enjoy it. I love that image of ravenous zombies. That about sums it up and here I thought they loved me...............LOL

 

[donrae]

You're supposed to be able to feel the breastbone. That's totally normal.

Javafan, I don't have money to waste on that much feed. Sounds to me like you're wasting a lot of food, I'd cut the scratch back to a handful and have them rely more on the pellets. It's like kids, why would they eat the meal when there's a candy or chip buffet?

 

[Javafan]

Thanks for the input. There are so many different views.

They do have runny poop. I am not talking about the occasional one or cecal matter. I see mostly poop with a lot of water content, some white and few dark stuff (like regular poop). No sign of worm.

They preen, take dust bath, look good overall and seem normally active. Although they seem to chill more these days (meaning sitting under a shrub).

Could the runny poop and the low egg production be tied? If it not food related, then what could this mean? They used to have regular big poop. Sorry if I seem to linger on this issue. Being a Mom, I know first hand that this is a good indicator of general health when you cannot communicate with words.

 

[Den in Penn]

One thing to consider about runny poop. This time of year its hot and they drink more to stay cool. They don't sweat and their breathing uses only so much, the water has to go some where.