Putting weight on my Chickens

[newbarredrockandsilkiemom]

Hi, I have 7 Barred Rock and 10 silkies. They all have layer crumbles free choice and I fix them cornmeal mash with some oats and ground veggies and cooked rice about 3 times or so a week. I've noticed my silkies aren't putting on weight. What can I do to put some meat on their bones? I have one that just started laying, they all act good and spunky (the roo's). They all seem to be happy, poos are all normal. I'm new to chicken keeping and would just like to know what I can do to put weight on them. The silkies also get some ground up dog food mixed in their crumbles to raise the protien because their feathers, but other than that that's all thats different in the way I feed all my chickies. I have 6 BR pullets and I get 5 to 6 eggs daily, even in this cold weather. Everyone seems happy but I don't like to pick up one of my babies and feel that it's boney.

Any help or advice PLEASE!!!

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

What age are they? It seems that most of our girls will not start putting on any real weight until they are over a year old. That seems to be when their bodies quit growing and then all the feed can be converted to weight. A higher protein diet will help.

 

[newbarredrockandsilkiemom]

Oh, their about 6 maybe 7 months old. Do you raise silkies? Yeah, I'm going to try to find them some 20 or 22% feed that has animal protein and not soy stuff.

Thank you!!

 

[the4heathernsmom]

I have always used the cracked corn or whole corn to add protein and help my leaner girls especially during winter.

 

[bigoakhunter]

They are laying and happy, then I am not sure you need to put any weight on them. But to answer your question:

Ground corn or scratch that contains ground corn will put some weight on them.

 

[Farmlife4me]

Quote:
you should ask sunshinesilkies ( she raises silkies ) I am sure she would know .. good luck !!