Why are their stomachs like bottomless pits?

[AnthNDacula]

Hi Everyone,

I just popped in for the first time to see what's happening on this thread. A person I've been mentoring recently had a series of 7 deaths with 2 to 3 month old chicks. The chicks were voracious and attacked the owner and food every time she went into the pen. They were confined to a pen and fed a very expensive, organic, chick starter ration. The deaths were coming frequently, every few days, so we took one to the state lab for a necropsy. The results came back negative to everything they tested for, but there was a note on the paperwork that the chick looked normal but emaciated. We started looking for other causes and eventually checked the date on this very expensive, organic chick starter. It had been on the shelf for over a year. Clearly some nutrient had broken down over time and the chicks were starving to death. Within a day of switching to the much cheaper, conventional feed the chicks settled down and guess what... no more deaths. All my birds free range from sunup to sundown and get lots of foods from various sources, so I've never seen this problem before. I try to get my birds on grass as soon as weather permits, even if that means digging up clumps of sod to put in their brooder. From now on if people ask for my help raising chickens and they raise in confinement I will always recommend using two sources of food and mixing them but dirt and grass is important too.

 

[DeepDishChix]

AHhhhh thats scary!! Theyre getting better about it though. I've been giving them more greens. They might have been hungry because I lock them up at 6-7pm and let them out around 7-9am.

 

[bluefreeze]

I have 14 hens and a rooster. I free feed them no matter what. I combine layer mash and pellets, and I mix in a 20 lb bag of bird seed, so the general seed with all kinds of stuff in it. I bought a large metal garbage can with the lid, and keep it out of the weather and sun. I fed them about 2 large pitchers, enough to fill the very common red hanging feeder, so about a gallon as the pitcher is a half gallon I think. So, what I know after all of these years is that they NEED to be fed well to lay well. Also, they roam all summer, but hate to go out much all winter and my feed bill is quadrupled in the winter! They hardly touch the feed in the summer, so I cut back..I will add that I give them ALL leftovers. I have read what they should't have, but I will be 100% honest, I keep a "chicken bucket" and pretty much everything goes in it. They are my compost you could say! What I see is that they will clean the cantaloupe seeds and meat, but not eat the rind, they will eat an old banana and carefully get it all but leave the peel...SO my conclusion is that they are smart enough to know what they like, and what they don't! Christmas, Thanksgiving, and deer hunting season is like heaven to them!! They get scraps every day for like a week! We are in farm land, and too much corn slows their laying down. But they love it, but I try to keep it picked up so they don't go nuts on it.. they love the seed in their food and sometimes are spoiled and eat it all, spilling their other feed all over the place, pellets and all of it on the floor and they look at me and say "more please" !! It is winter so they are inside and no food is available outside, so once a week they get a clean up day. I don't feed them and check and they have cleaned up the feed laying around, then I give them a little bit for the night. Otherwise they would waste a ton.. FREE feed them, they are very smart, and wont eat what they don't want, they never overeat or how would I know anyway? They look great, act happy, lay like crazy, poops looks good, and again I feel they are VERY smart. People think chickens are dim, no way, they are super smart, very very aware and will show it right away if they are in stress. All the answers here were great and helped me out. I like the comment about not buying the expensive feed! I say change it up, I buy Purina sometimes, I skip pellets sometimes, I go to the feed store in town sometimes, it helps them not get bored with food if it varies.

 

[MelodyC]

Yes, mine loved us after Valentines day when they got the scraps and leftovers from the prime rib. LOL

 

[DeepDishChix]

Haha! My chickens LOVE tomatoes. They will tear them apart.

 

[bluefreeze]

I know right?? I just made a few sub sandwiches, and had some left over bread, I called for them, tossed the extra bread... you would think they were starved or something! It is so funny, for some reason they hate the fresh snow, so they FLY from spot to spot to get to me, avoiding the snow drift! Smart, like I say, smarty pants!

 

[DeepDishChix]

They act like we starve them, but we give them so much food. The should feel lucky that they are alive. <

 

[bluefreeze]

I think mine feel lucky...they hate it when we go out of town. When mom and dad come over to feed them and collect eggs, they peck and yell at them! ha ha ha...we used to have a rooster that chased mom back to her car!

 

[DeepDishChix]

Hahaha! That's so funny!

Also 2 of my chickens are getting their feathers pecked of their backs. I'm giving them black oil sunflower seeds sooo... Maybe because their space is too small? We're planning to make them a larger outdoor inclousure. Thanks to anyone who has replied so far!

 

[bluefreeze]

Have you seen the "apron" for hens to wear? They are all over ebay, and my hen had to wear it a whole season until she finally molted. I bought two, and would wash and hang one when It got dirty. I would put it on her at night when she was sleeping, she never minded. They should be well made, lined so the skin can breathe, mine has felt on the inside, and protected her from Jolly who really liked her the best if you know what I mean! It helped and protected her just great! I have 1 roo to 14 hens, and I had read 1 roo to 6 hens minimum or the hens will be quite beaten up at times! I went so many years with out a rooster and lost my chickens every time, one by one, or in one big swoop - always to predators. NEVER happened after I had a rooster to protect his girls! Even when dogs have ran though our property, no loss of any hens, I have no idea how he does it, but he is great! Good luck, I don't think it is sunflower seeds..but space to move around can really make a big difference in how they feel and treat each other...good luck!