Unheathyly skinny chickens

[mom2joshcanpark]

Ok, I don't know what is going on, I have raised chickens for years and have never had a weight issue. I have 4 chickens of which 3 (1 Silkie Rooster, 1 Polish Hen and 1 Standard Brahma Hen) that are just skinny. The rooster is up and down, sometimes he eats well sometimes he always has food left over. He is about 4 and this started last year, I have no real concerns with him as long as he is maintaining his weight and eating. However, the Polish and Brahma are penned together away from the rooster, the Polish is supposed to be standard, but to me she is small, she eats, but not like she should, not as concerned, but watchful, now my chicken is the Brahma, she is so skinny I am surprised she is alive. I have been working with her for 2 almost 3 months now on her weight and pickyness on food. Right now due to my neighbors they cannot forage (working on that, but my other chicken has lived in the house for 2 years and has been fit). This Brahma picks at food and has lost weight. She still lays eggs and all. She is our second Brahma so I know how big she should be and she is no where near it, I worry greatly about her.

So tell me what I can do to get her to eat better and pick up weight. I use feed from Orchlean and Tractor Supply tried 3 different brands now. Their cage is always full of food because they never eat it, we give fresh as well and they just scratch it.

Any ideas??
Thans

 

[NoseyChickens]

It could be worms. You may want to worm them. i haven't had any experiance myself with thin chickens, but that's what it sounds like. I hope you find out and can cure them. Best of luck

 

[chicken crazed 1o1]

you can use Apple cider vinger to worm them .

 

[CapricornFarm]

Possibly worms . Have any of them been sneezing or having nasal discharge? The other possibility that comes to mind is cocci.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I would worm them and dust for parasites. You should probably worm them with Ivemectin (sp? It gets all the worms, not just a specific type). ACV wont do anything to get rid of an infestation. You should probably get them some probiotics to help them get back on track after the wormer. A good high protein gamebird feed or some meat scraps should help them put weight back on. Good luck!

 

[leadwolf1]

How old should chickens be to worm?

 

[dianaross77]

I agree that you should probably worm them. You could get some mealworms or superworms (my preference) from the pet store. Superworms don't have to be refrigerated and are a lot bigger than mealworms. They are very squirmy and should stimulate the appetite. Also crickets would be good too.

 

[RHRanch]

If the worming doesn't improve things, something else might be going on. Unexplained wasting could indicate a more serious condition, like Mareks or leukosis - watch for paralisis, unexplained deaths or lameness.

What concerns me about your post is the lack of apetite. Birds with a high worm load usually eat - a lot.