Underweight and Emaciated Hens

[FarmerGirl101]

Hi! My main flock of 13 chickens (2 years old) all seem to be super skinny and underweight. They all have super pronounced breast bones. More than normal. They've been like this for a while but I've noticed it recently. My hens all seem to be smaller than previous chickens even ones who are the same breed. They look like they are the 3/4 month old teenage size. However, my roosters are large yet underweight.

They have 24/7 access to food and water (I feed them the TSC brand layer) and will switch to dumor once I'm done with the bags I have. They also have 24/7 access to oyster shells and I have ordered grit. They free-range pretty much every day as well. I did buy safeguard today and will be worming them as I haven't yet done that with them.

What else should I do to help them gain the weight they are missing?

 

[User635240]

How does their poop look?
You could try ivermectin along with the safeguard (fenbendazole). They address different types of parasites. Coccidia is a common parasite that can cause loss of appetite. Corid from TSC treats coccidia. You could supplement their diet with raw eggs, even their own eggs.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Their poop looks normal and they have a perfect appetite with full crops in the evening and empty in the morning. They have been eating their eggs (much to my dismay) so they have had some extra nutrition from that.

 

[User635240]

Their poop looks normal and they have a perfect appetite with full crops in the evening and empty in the morning. They have been eating their eggs (much to my dismay) so they have had some extra nutrition from that.

You might try switching to another brand of food, you can still use the TSC feed later. TSC also sells bird suet cakes, which are bird seed compacted into beef fat.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

You might try switching to another brand of food, you can still use the TSC feed later. TSC also sells bird suet cakes, which are bird seed compacted into beef fat.

I would but I just got more feed so I can't switch right now. I also did just go to TSC and its far away so I can't go often. I do have sunflower seeds if that might work

 

[User635240]

I would but I just got more feed so I can't switch right now. I also did just go to TSC and its far away so I can't go often. I do have sunflower seeds if that might work

I'm sure they would appreciate the sunflower seeds. Suet cakes are available at most garden centers and even drug stores.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

I'm sure they would appreciate the sunflower seeds. Suet cakes are available at most garden centers and even drug stores.

I'll definitely have to go look

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi! My main flock of 13 chickens (2 years old) all seem to be super skinny and underweight. They all have super pronounced breast bones. More than normal. They've been like this for a while but I've noticed it recently. My hens all seem to be smaller than previous chickens even ones who are the same breed. They look like they are the 3/4 month old teenage size. However, my roosters are large yet underweight.

They have 24/7 access to food and water (I feed them the TSC brand layer) and will switch to dumor once I'm done with the bags I have. They also have 24/7 access to oyster shells and I have ordered grit. They free-range pretty much every day as well. I did buy safeguard today and will be worming them as I haven't yet done that with them.

What else should I do to help them gain the weight they are missing?

Their poop looks normal and they have a perfect appetite with full crops in the evening and empty in the morning. They have been eating their eggs (much to my dismay) so they have had some extra nutrition from that.

Photos of your birds and poop?

Have you actually weighed birds to see if they are losing weight or how are you gauging being "skinny"?
Super pronounced breast bone. What are you seeing/feeling according to the body chart below?

What breeds do you have?

Sounds like they are getting a nutritionally balanced feed provided for them free choice. I would make that available to them. Since they do free range/roam, they are picking up bugs, grasses, seeds, etc. so generally anything extra like fatty sunflower seeds, scratch, etc. should be given sparingly.

Some breeds are not real meaty, laying hens generally aren't, they don't need to be extra heavy - fat can cause production problems and heart/liver disease.


Sounds like they are eating/drinking, laying eggs, active and moving about. Doesn't sound like anything too serious is going on.

Look for any lice/mites just to be sure they don't have external parasites. For external parasites, Permethrin poultry dust or spray is an effective treatment, Ivermectin is not really that necessary, it will not treat lice.


Deworming and/or treating for Coccidiosis may be necessary, but it's best to get a fecal float to see if these are even part of the problem.



Collect eggs throughout the day to help deter egg eating. Putting a few fake ceramic or wooden eggs in the nesting boxes can also sometimes help. They will pick at these and find they can't break them, so may associate all eggs as "unbreakable".

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Photos of your birds and poop?

Have you actually weighed birds to see if they are losing weight or how are you gauging being "skinny"?
Super pronounced breast bone. What are you seeing/feeling according to the body chart below?

What breeds do you have?

Sounds like they are getting a nutritionally balanced feed provided for them free choice. I would make that available to them. Since they do free range/roam, they are picking up bugs, grasses, seeds, etc. so generally anything extra like fatty sunflower seeds, scratch, etc. should be given sparingly.

Some breeds are not real meaty, laying hens generally aren't, they don't need to be extra heavy - fat can cause production problems and heart/liver disease.


Sounds like they are eating/drinking, laying eggs, active and moving about. Doesn't sound like anything too serious is going on.

Look for any lice/mites just to be sure they don't have external parasites. For external parasites, Permethrin poultry dust or spray is an effective treatment, Ivermectin is not really that necessary, it will not treat lice.


Deworming and/or treating for Coccidiosis may be necessary, but it's best to get a fecal float to see if these are even part of the problem.



Collect eggs throughout the day to help deter egg eating. Putting a few fake ceramic or wooden eggs in the nesting boxes can also sometimes help. They will pick at these and find they can't break them, so may associate all eggs as "unbreakable".



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I don't have a good picture of them or their poop so I'll do that in the morning. I've not weighed them but according to the chart most are at a 2 with some at a 1 and others at a 3 although not many. I've got buff orpingtons, golden wyandottes, turkens, leghorns, New Hampshire, and an ameraucana.

I've also put in some rocks that are egg shape in the nesting boxes which has begun to help as I went away for the weekend and came back to some eggs.

They all are behaving perfectly normal with the only issue being that they are underweight.

 

[User635240]

I'll definitely have to go look

Hi, another thought, you could try Nutridrench (the poultry variety). It's a liquid nutritional supplement. There could be some vitamin missing from the TSC feed.