Too much scratch - slow molt?

[chickbea]

Ok - I just discovered yesterday that my husband has been feeding WAY too much scratch to the girls. What he insists was "just a handful now and then" was actually more like a handful for each girl, twice a day!

Bad husband!
Anyway, I wonder if this is connected to another little mystery I have had lately, which is that my NHR, who is 5, has been going through a veeeery slow molt recently. It certainly isn't the time of year for that, and I haven't been able to figure out why. Do you think that is the reason?

 

[d.k]

*Might be-- low proteins and nutrients in the scratch could be "diluting" what would have been available if she'd been on a stricter diet. A little flaxseed helps when molting though, IME, so maybe you could give DH the task of seeing she gets a bit of that-- with her greatly reduced scratch treat.

 

[chickbea]

That's a good idea. He does love to give them treats!

 

[d.k]

* If my DH fed my hen, he'd probably just open the bag and set it in her pen and leave it til she starved -- so, it's not all bad that yours is 'helping'!! :aww

 

[chickbea]

d.k :

* If my DH fed my hen, he'd probably just open the bag and set it in her pen and leave it til she starved -- so, it's not all bad that yours is 'helping'!! :aww

Well, I wouldn't say he is helping, exactly.

He likes to have them do little tricks for the treats.
When it comes to regular feeding, that's my job. Every time I go away I have to call him every night and make sure that he has given all the animals fresh water - he ALWAYS forgets the water! ​