Too much fat in BOSS seeds?

[tdgill]

have I made my rooster sick with too much boss seeds? The vet is questioning diet and seems roo has a liver problem. Also vet said to get roo on non-layer feed. He did mention the fat in sunflower seeds (could too much scratch also be contributing to a liver problem?) I thought I was being a good chicken mama, my layers are laying good and I thought that if I was making a mistake in scratch or BOSS that the layers would slack off...

we are also having another xray on monday. he is on baytril for a secondary infection (had elevated temp) but is doing better. He felt much better after fluid was drained (ascites) but I am wondering if he will need it again.

 

[sonew123]

Im sorry I , personally, haven't heard of this..yet... I give Boss and in huge handfulls at night to keep them busy and warm-not everyday though 2-3 x a week?? COuld you have been giving him scraps of people food that didnt agree with him??? could he have gotten into something that you are unaware of???

 

[tdgill]

we're still thinking it is the BOSS seeds. Too much and Too high in oil and fat?
he's doing better, getting used to being in the house with his best girl no less. eating flock raiser and kale, with a side order of meal worm (i cut the meal worm and poke the diuretic pill inside, no fuss medication!) He's still not himself though, and I can still feel his enlarged liver. Poor fella, he's doing darn good though!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I wouldn't feel bad if I were you about your roo's diet including BOSS. A huge number of people offer BOSS to their chickens. It is even in my feed recipe.

I don't think we are seeing huge numbers of chickens with liver problems because of it (are we guys?).

Maybe it's just a genetic thing! I hope your little roo gets better soon!

But I would definitely follow your vet's recommendations regarding diet! I am just saying you shouldn't beat yourself up.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Depending on the particular chicken and how much he is consuming by himself. Boss can be bad to many different species of birds if given in high constant quantities. If you make sure he has normal functioning organs, then you might want to reevaluate the quantity you are feeding (whether it is separate or mixed with other feed). If you would like a good guild for mixing, look at wild bird seed, notice how sparingly the sunflower seed are used. When I mix the seeds I go ahead and by the wild bird feed because it is already diluted, but If I do go and by BOSS then I am careful how much I mix in with the daily feed.
Sunflower seeds tend to be the first thing gobbled up by some birds, even faster than corn in some cases. (By my birds anyways)

 

[tdgill]

I was certainly over feeding the BOSS. But thanks for the thoughtfulness Just being realistic here. I do find it interesting and consider myself lucky that I don't have any other birds showing symptoms of fatty liver disease. Good thinking jes...

 

[PepsNick]

Oh, sorry to hear that. But that's not true. Tons of BYC members on here feed BOSS and it is just fine for them. I doubt that's the problem. But everything else your vet said seems pretty clear.

 

[tdgill]

well maybe it is true in HIS case.... maybe I wasn't paying attention as to what his actual intake was. Maybe I was overfeeding it and other folks on here don't. Maybe some people's chickens never made it to the vet.... I've asked around at the feed store and a couple other farms here and was surprised to hear that they've never heard of feeding chickens sunflower seeds. Obviously because its an added expense AND chickens aren't always kept as pets.

ANYWAY, it does make perfect sense to me - not to say though that it couldn't be just genetic or some other source, but for now I will cut back on the Boss I feed to my flock. I wish I could say how much I actually went thru in a certain period of time but I know I was VERY generous with the boss and scratch grains. If I was overfeeding and replacing their layer pellets - I figured the first clue would be a change in laying habits but my girls are regular daily layers.

Proud owner of a $400 rooster.

 

[Wifezilla]

Fat doesn't cause fatty liver or other liver damage. Carbohydrates do. I would be more suspect of the corn in the scratch and feed than the BOSS.

 

[tdgill]

you're kidding me.....

three words and I have to edit for spelling...sheesh.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1829&aid=2430