Help - hens not eating

Sue

Sue

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I'm not sure what's going on with my hens! They're not eating very well at all. It's a struggle to get them to eat anything. They don't appear unwell, but are losing a lot of weight and going to bed with hardly anything in their crops. I give them until lunchtime, hoping they're going to eat the pellets, but they're hardly eating any at all. I then give them chopped up spinach, which they love. Then at about 4.30 I give them a mash made up of their pellets with dried mealworms, corn and poultry spice. They peck at it for a while, but don't clear it all up. Their droppings appear mostly ok, there are some looser ones, but not many. I don't know what to do. I had two at the vet 2 weeks ago with an upper respiratory infection, but they are much better now (after 2 injections of Baytril) and the others didn't seem to catch it from them. I have two who are dropping feathers like they're desperate to make a feather duvet! No one has laid an egg since Sunday and that was only one. I'm at a loss as to what to do. They were really keen eaters until 2 weeks ago, eating so much that I was worried about them getting too fat and their crops being too full (even one with sour crop). I have 5 in one run and 2 in another and they're all doing the same. Does anyone have any suggestions about what this may be and what I can do please.
 
your girls are eating something which is good as at least they are not totally starving , how about trying warm porridge made with water then add a few pellets to it mine go mental for that especailly first thing in the morning but dont make it to hot though .

your girls are gonig though a big moult which will knock them for 6 , most of mine are moulting badly and now pretty all have lost thier tails and they look so weird some going down hill and look very sad and dull where as others dont seem to care and carry on like nothing is happening , i hope someone esle can give you some more answers .
 
The two that are moulting may well be eating less if they are not laying. I'd cut out the poultry spice as they don't need it (layers feed has all they need) as sometimes they get fed up with the same taste.
Otherwise have no suggestions I'm afraid.
 
Chuck the reason I'm giving the poultry spice is because they're not eating the pellets. None of them are laying at the moment, but none of them appear to be ill in any way. Thanks for your suggestion about the porridge Karminski, I gave them some this morning, but they just stood and looked at it at first, then ate a little. It's very stodgy though, don't know how to make it less sticky.
 
Hi Sue one of mine too not eating to much at the moment,but I had put down to last beating she took from one of my cockrels.She lost her confidence and she was before top hen(now she's in the bottom)I do not know either what to do.They have a variaty in they diet.She like to peck at coconut(I broke one and given to my chickens-they like it).She looks healthy but not eating as much as before.
 
If they've gone off lay, this is normal, and they won't need so much to eat. Laying an egg takes 3% of a hen's bodyweight, so not having to do this is quite a relief to them. So long as they look healthy, their poos are OK and they're taking an interest in life, they'll come round to eating when they're ready, if you just give them a good mixed diet. Maybe it's like children, we often worry they're going to starve themselves even if they don't seem to be eating everything on their plates, but they won't starve if food is available for them (unless you can see that something else seems to be going wrong as well as lack of appetite, eg runny noses or poos, floppy combs etc.)
 
This time of year is difficult for chickens, they are stopping egg production, and moulting, this can have differing effects throughout the flock, their little bodies are tiered from laying eggs all spring and summer, and now they need some tlc to help them moult, another thing which stress' their bodies. Alot of birds will seek out the nutrients they need from the feed you give them, chickens are clever like that, they seem to know exactly what they need, so leaving the pellets in favour of other protien rich feeds is quite normal, i would suggest you give them battles poultry drink in their water to help maintain an appitite, cut out the spice, and gradually switch them onto a growers pellet with mixed corn, the extra protein will help them to moult, keep up with the greens, and the mealworms,(in moderation.) all good sources of protein and vitamins, they will proberbly favour the mixed corn, as this is what keeps them warm being a carbohydrate and slow release energy. It's normal for them to want to lay down a layer of fat for insulation through the winter, but obviously, don't let them get too fat! It's called conditioning. And hard wired into their natural instinct.
Growers pellet is slightly higher in protien, which is what they will require to grow their new feathers, and if they are not laying, layers pellets aren't neccessary until early spring, personally, i never feed layers, but i exhibit my birds and breed from them, we don't eat our eggs as they end up being in the incubator, so my birds at the minute are on a mixture of breeders and growers, (along with other ingredients) tailored to suit them.
Feeding your own birds is an individual thing, and no two keepers feed the same, so you have to work out what to feed your birds depending on what you keep them for. If it's purely enjoyment and a few eggs, the birds will still go through different times in the year when they will need a few extra vits and minerals etc. The key is, and part of the fun of keeping chickens, is to feed them the right nutrients when they require it.
Sometimes, like your example, the birds will let you know when something isn't enough, or they need something different.
You say a few have been poorly recently, and have had antibiotics, the others who aren't showing signs are proberbly fighting it off, so a few extra vits and minerals will also help, and a probiotic for poultry can be added to either the feed, or the water. Battles also acts as a probiotic, so this will help too.
Sorry for the long post, but feeding is a long topic! Hope this helps.
JubesXX ;)
 
You could try some live bait for them and see if they eat those. Full of protein and gives them something to do, also maybe some hung cabbages and apples on sticks(RED ones!). Get them moving and make it more interesting for them. As mentioned above, it may be just that time of year, you could be over feeding them. Usually at this time of the year we put down a couple handfuls of layers/growers mixed to help moult and chuck out a small handfull of mixed corn in the evening to help them keep warm in the night on cold ones. but a lot of the pellets get left or washed away.
 
Thank you to everyone for their ideas. Your long, but very interesting post 'Jubes' was very useful. They have all stopped laying so I will get them some growers pellets this weekend and carry on with the other food - greens etc. Can I just let them eat mixed corn ad lib or should I limit it? I will also try to get some Battles, but will probably have to order it on the internet as we don't have many places near us who stock poultry products. I'm giving them multivits in their water anyway. They're not likely to get fat the way they're going at the moment. I was worried about them getting too fat, especially my buff sussex, until they all started losing it very quickly. Wish it was so easy for us humans to lose weight!
 
I wouldn't worry too much about a small amount of extra fat going into the winter Sue, they will soon shed it again in the spring. I wouldn't give straight mixed corn ablib because they will eat that rather than having the balance of a compound pellet, which is designed to contain everything they need be it growers, or layers.
They will become deficiant in other nutrients left to eat an all corn diet. Either mix it in with pellets and feed once a day, or give pellets in the morning and a few handfuls of mixed corn in the afternoon, which ever is easiest for you. Most folks do the latter, so on cold evenings, the corn will act as an insulation giving heat to the birds at night as they digest it. Slow release carbohydrates such as mixed corn/maize are great for this. ;)
Battles has a new name, it's called poultry tonic drink now, and it not only contains minerals and vitamins, it has an appitizer in it to keep the birds eating. it also works to de-stress them so any stress from moulting is handled better.
As a rough guide to the correct weight, you shouldn't be able to physically see the keel bone, but you should be able to feel it when you pick the bird up, a good condition for winter is, it should feel 'rounded' not sharp. If there's a 'dip' the bird is too fat, too sharp and the bird is too thin. By 'rounded' i mean you can apply slight pressure and feel the bone, a bit like a dogs or horses ribs, not protruding, but can be felt when stroked with your hand, not seen with the eye.
Sorry for the long post!
JubesXX
 
If you have a Wilkinsons near you they now stock a few poultry supplies including a tonic! ;)
 
If worried about too much mixed corn, you can feed just wheat. It's the maize that is the fattener. I wouldn't feed mash at night either as a good crop full of corn and pellets will last them better through the night .
 
They're not eating the pellets, that's why I'm feeding the mash - I make it from the pellets, but they're still not really interested in it. I have one who isn't eating hardly anything at all - won't eat corn, egg, mealworms, mash, pellets or spinach!!! She's lost quite a few feathers, but this seems to be slowing down now, but she still won't eat. The others will pick at the food, but not in much quantity.
 
have you tried layers mash its the same as pellets but just in mash form or the other way round they may find the pellets a bit harsh , how long have u had them ?? mash is what they might of been on before you got them and they find the pellets wierd .
 
I've had them since March and they have been on exactly the same pellets ever since (same brand), so it's not that. They've eaten them happily since then until 2 weeks ago. They seem a bit livelier today, but still don't seem to be eating the pellets!
 
you have very strange chickens i really dont know what to suggest :-)05 :-)05 , maybe chicken vet on here could help you out its worth a try send her a pm .
 
Very helpful post as I have a couple of warrens who although they aren't moulting yet, are only laying every other day and do not seem to be eating their layers (Garvo) pellets but will happily eat worms, cabbage, carrots and corn. Spoilt maybe?
 
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