Ribh's D'Coopage

[MaryJanet]

Do you know what folks.. . I'm confident that the chooks are fed good food in generous quantities and I see tham eating it. Mary is big and robust. Janet is athletic and robust. Sandy is thin. Too thin I reckon. She's a hybrid layer of frequent big eggs. I think she puts her food into her eggs and not on her body. Any ideas about increasing her weight or is it a waste of effort?

 

[Ribh]

Ok I know that both corn & bread [& I've heard milk so yoghurt?] will pack on the weight but they are *treat foods* ~ ie not terribly healthy. First though I would check for worms, mites, lice etc [which you probably don't have] but they can cause weight loss so worth asking. Edited to add @Kris might know because she does meat birds.

 

[MaryJanet]

There are definitely no mites or lice because I use coopex every time I change the bedding. Worms, maybe. The other two were wormed before Sandy showed up. So maybe that's her problem. She's also having a mini moult, so maybe that's impacting her weight too.

 

[Ribh]

There are definitely no mites or lice because I use coopex every time I change the bedding. Worms, maybe. The other two were wormed before Sandy showed up. So maybe that's her problem. She's also having a mini moult, so maybe that's impacting her weight too.

If she's molting I say definitely. I hate to see chickens lose condition though. They can go down hill so fast ! not to worry you or anything. Just my paranoia.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'd prefer she was a little more filled out. But she's got full on egg production genes, so maybe she'll never be rotund.

 

[Ribh]

Some breeds just are leaner. My Campines are never going to be the round jolly ladies the favorells & BRs are ~ & of course they're way more active, which I'm guessing Sandy is too.

 

[MaryJanet]

She's not as active as Janet, but Janet lays smaller eggs less frequently.

Also, I know Sandy's eating enough because she often takes time out for a snooze or dust bath. If she were hungry, she'd keep eating surely.

 

[Ribh]

She's not as active as Janet, but Janet lays smaller eggs less frequently.

Also, I know Sandy's eating enough because she often takes time out for a snooze or dust bath. If she were hungry, she'd keep eating surely.

Has her weight been stable? If she's not actually losing any weight that may just be how she is?

 

[MaryJanet]

She's been thin all along. It might be worsening a little, but it's hard to tell. She's also looking a little scruffy from the moult.

I keep treats to a minimum- a small lettuce bribe if I need to lock them up and mealworms once a fortnight. She nibbles the shellgrit daily.

They forage in the yard though - lots of bugs, grass and weeds. But they're not in the yard all the time, only when I'm home.

 

[MaryJanet]

I might try @rjohns39 advice of salmon + scrambled egg.