Thin hens, act fine need help fattening them up - Organic

tigger19687

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Ok so I have Organic hens, organic feed. Age of about 6-7 months They seemed fine a few weeks ago when I last was able to feel them. One has always been thin (production red) but the other 3 were good size, but not fat.
They have boney breast now, all of them.

I DID switch to an Organic crumble 1-1/2 weeks ago, they didn't like it. BUT they also free range for about 1/2 the day in front and have the small back yard always. Tons of dirt to scratch and all.
Changed to another Feed and they didn't seem to like it either.

I DID go from fermenting to not because they seemed to not want the 1st fermented feed much.
So tried to wet this new feed, Nope not really liking it.
I even kept them in the coop locked up till 9 am hoping they would eat what was in there, not really.

Maybe I just didn't notice they ate some, just not much. Either way they are THIN !

NO mites/fleas, nothing near the vent.
Act fine, scratch all day, roost a bit in their kiddy house then back out scratching
Combs, eyes and feathers all look good too.
Pooping every day, see nothing IN or ON the Poop- I pick up poop EVERY DAY and it looks normal.
Laying eggs (I got 3 laying right now, one is not there yet) I get 2-3 a day, usually 3.


NO I DID NOT WORM THEM BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND CERTIFIED ORGANIC WORMER !!! So please, unless you can tell me of an organic wormer where I can still use the eggs, don't ---- I know that is harsh but I have been searching for a few days to find one. I can't find a Vet near here that will do a Fecal Float. And most of the worms I should see in the poop if they were loaded with them.
I already read all the pumpkin seeds, pepper and such. I did give pumpkin seeds ONLY because I am carving one for All Hallows Eve ;) They like the seeds, not the guts.
I don't even know if worms would be it anyway.

I tried to put Molasses in the feed, nope, but they did eat more of the mush then the other without.
I just don't know how much to add and don't want them to get diarrhea.

What else is a sure fire way to put on weight. At this point I almost don't care. I just got Mealworms and hope that helps some.

Anything else they will eat? I don't mind buying something but it has to be Organic or at least GMO-Free
 
I'm not very experienced, but I've gotten one of our sick chicks to eat her food by stimulating her appetite with some watermelon. All of my chickens go CRAZY for the stuff (once they figured out what it was). Mealworms are great, and another popular treat for my flock. The protein bonus is always nice. In fact, I usually cut a couple of those mini seedless watermelons into quarters, roll them in dried mealworms, and put them in the coop. In a couple hours they're picked completely clean, down to the skin (they even eat the rind!)

You could try to give them treats while they're locked in the coop, to see if that peaks their appetite enough to encourage them to try/trust the new food.

If you can't get your chickens to eat their favorite treats, you might have a health problem - but that's for a more experienced member than me to say.
 
my 2 golden comets (production reds) have also both loss weight and for all other purposes appear to be just fine and laying every day. I wasn't sure if this was just common with this breed or this time of year.
 
Do they have any other symptoms, besides the weight loss? How quickly did the loss occur?

I'd probably recommend weighing at least a couple of them every day to see if the loss continues or speeds up.
 
I would say about a month from when I last felt them. They are NOT snuggly hens :(
Weather here has been chilly then hot then chilly. I still think it is food strike.

No other symptoms at all, that is what is weird. They come running to see me if they are out ranging. happy, red combs, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

If I thought feeding them Pork belly would make them fat fast I would :barnie

It is going to get cold here very soon so I am worried.
I am still trying to find a vet to do a fecal for me. Just have not found one yet. And if they have worms I still don't know what to worm them with that is Organic :confused:

Kick myself for doing Organic now.
 
That does seem like a rapid loss, though the weather could be a factor.

Since you mention pork belly, I've heard of people feeding their birds meat and cat food before, which might be an option. You might also look into suets that are chicken safe - they're helpful to wild birds in the winter, so I'd imagine they'd help your girls.

I'd recommend encouraging them to be more socialized, by the way. I'm working on my boyfriends flock right now - sitting on a blanket in the coop and offering them treats when they come near. If you give them a treat every time you catch them, they become easier to hold (if not easier to catch). It takes time but is helpful for illness and injury, especially for free range birds.
 
You might want to get some fresh droppings checked by a vet, in case of coccidiosis or worms. My chickens do not get organic anything, but they are very healthy. Wormers such as Valbazen or Safeguard liquid goat wormer are perfectly safe and effective, but there are no organic wormers. A 14 day egg withdrawal is sufficient after using them.
Do you have feed available to them inside the coop and out? Are you using crumble or pellets? My hens are not too picky if I switch feeds, and they like most brands, but one time they absolutely did not like a feed I bought at one feed store. They love to eat chopped eggs as a treat, but I limit other threats. Most hens will eat feed mixed with a lot of water, and I sometimes add a little plain yogurt a couple of days a week for probiotics.
 
2 are Columbian Wayndottes and 2 are Production Reds (one is always thin the other is more like a New Hampshire).

I sit out with them when they are free in the front yard. I hand feed them Organic Cheerios some times. Today I sat out with them as I cut the Pumpkin seeds in 1/2 so they would eat them easier. They are much better then when I 1st got them.

I got Crumbles for the other 2 feeds. Originally they were on New Country Organics, fermented.
I tried yogurt before but they really didn't like that and gave one the runny poop :(
 

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