Popcorn from Theater causing problems??

[denasfarm]

My son works at a movie theater and has been bringing home tons of popcorn to help feed my chickens for free. Well out of 30 hens now I am getting ~0~ eggs So I get on list to research and I read on "the nono list" that they shouldnt eat salted and buttered popcorn.
Is the salt and butter causing the lack of eggs or is it just cold weather? A few are molting but not all 30!
The Silkies are still laying like troopers but they eat little popcorn compared to the birds in the other pens.
THANKS
Dena

 

[serendipity22]

They need protein.

The popcorn made them stop laying because their systems need more nutritionally adequate and balanced food.

**that stuff's really high in salt too. You should stop feeding it to them immediately! A little every now and then would be OK. But if they're getting that much salt on a daily basis... YIKES!!

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Yeah, sounds like maybe their not getting enough balanced nutrition.

 

[silkiechicken]

Just how much are they eating? If it's like a small handful each, then probably not going to be that bad, but if it's more, add that to less light and the high sodium which birds can't process like animals, and you've just tossed their diet out of wack and could be not so good for the long term health.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I would think popcorn would be a nice treat, but not a mainstay as a source of food. poultry grain, bread, bugs, grass and whatever is good for your bird, but they all have to be done in moderation.

You should be giving layer feed if you want eggs. What goes in will come out and if it does not include a good source of protein then you will not get anything but a live chickens and unhealthy ones.

All animals require exactly what we require. Maybe in different amounts and type, but certainly something.

Poultry grain is fairly cheap these days. A small flock will not go through that much of it. Salt is exceptionally bad for a bird. They do not have the same type of system that we do for getting rid of the salt.

 

[denasfarm]

They get a Coffee can size scoop of layer pellets, 1/2 can of scratch and a 3 gallon bucket of popcorn in the big pen. The big pen is 175ft long X 25 rectangled with 35 birds covered in leaves, some bushes and logs for bug hunting.
BUT I think the popcorn is affecting them. My son brings home two or three BIG trash bags full a week. Such a shame to waste it. Popcorn Garland anyone?
Is the sodium leaching out the calcium? or something like that?

 

[silkiechicken]

Sodium just isn't processed right in the birds and can lead to heart and renal failure thus a condition called ascities. Unlike mammals, they don't use it the same and can throw off their bodies electrolyte balance.