What might be the problem with my silkies?

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
SEVERAL people in here have posted that Scratch is to be given only to very small chickens and after about 8 weeks , change them to grower pellets , and than to layer pellets when they start to lay .

 

[tadkerson]

This post was an accident. I would delete the post but maybe a moderator will do it for me.

Tim

 

[Chickfever]

I checked for worms, couldn't find any signs.

And, to clarify, the new silkies (who are not laying) are treated and fed the same as my old mixed flock (black sex link, RIR, buff orp, Americana, mixed white) they are just in a tractor while the mixes free range. Minus the Americanas (who only lay one egg every other day amongst them....I think they are really old), between the other 13 hens, I get 7-9 eggs a day. Some of my BSL (6 of them) are really old but one or two of them still lay. Thus the question as to why my new silkies aren't laying.

I'm not supposed to feed scratch feed? They prefer it over ANYTHING else I've ever fed them.

 

[BamaChicken]

CF, Chickens think Scratch is a treat. They will come running for that but like others have said it is not nutritional for them. Corn loses it nutritional value when it is cracked. That is why most reccomend it in limited amts. It won't hurt them to have some but it is like us just drinking coke or eating Ice cream diet and never having meat and veggies

 

[LilPeeps]

Quote:
Exactly.

 

[bantymum]

Hi, im not sure whats in the scratch feed over there, but mine love it and they are all healthy. Id prefer mine to eat something they like, they also get their share of bugs/spiders/lettuce/vegies, scraps from dinner.
I also put my pigeon vitamin powder with polyseed oil in to the mix every now and then. Plus they loooove layer mash mixed with warm water, though not too mushy.
Their fave treat is canary millet.

 

[LilPeeps]

The scratch here is simply wheat and cracked corn, and while they love it, they cannot survive on it. They need the calcium and protein from their layer feed. I usually mix their regular feed with a bit of wild bird seed and dried oatmeal.

 

[cajunlizz]

twice during last week , I cooked a big pot of homemade grits and 2 days later cooked oatmeal ..... OMG my girls went crazy . NOW when they see me coming , they all line up like I am going to hand feed them . LOL

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:





I totally agree . THEY have to have the Layer pellets for the PROTEIN & CALCIUM to develop correctly .

 

[bossynbella]

Just wanted to post my two cents worth.

First don't feel bad about not having layer feed. We feed alot of corn and a little layer feed in the summer because they free range all day. I have never noticed a drop in egg numbers when we have run out of layer feed for a few days.

Second we kept very flighty banties in a tractor for months and moved it every day and they layed anyway. Some chickens do take breaks alot. Our silkies go in spurts we will get 7-8 eggs a day for a month and then nothing but maybe one a week or so for about 3 months. None of our other chickens do this, and the silkies get only Layer feed because they do not free range. To easy prey for a hawk

Don't feel bad they will lay again. Some of ours are 4+ yrs old and still lay.
Melissa