jlssco
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« on: June 17, 2010, 09:14:53 PM » |
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I have another situation. I give her iceberg lettuce in the am, a whole cereal bowl full. I give her Purina Layeran(sp?) crumbles. She will not eat the crumbles at all. A chicken person, who told me to give her oyster shells also recommended that I give her wet cat food to get her protein up and to feed her Proplan from Tractor Supply. I went and got her oyster shells, as you have read, then I got her the ProPlan, however, that product didn't have as much protein as the Purina, so I thought I should finish up the bag of Purina before I open the ProPlan. She loved the cat food for a couple of days, but wont eat it any more. So someone said to give her mealworms for a treat. I bought some of them, freeze dried. They are full of protein, but that is about it, she LOVES them. She hops every time I come outside. So basically, she eats the meal worms when I give them to her and lettuce, oh and bird seed, she likes that as well. The nuts are a favorite. Her coop is 18 X 21, and she doesn't really scratch. I have corn kernels, but I was advised not to keep giving her that until we got her regular diet worked out.
If anyone has any suggestions or ideas or comments. Please send them my way.
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hulahoop
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« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2010, 09:49:28 PM » |
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Sorry if I missed it, but were there some problems that you made her think something was off with her diet? My girls eat purina layena and they free range (on whatever comes from the garden that I toss over the fence, mostly.) that's it. I don't give them scratch on purpose. I've heard about giving chickens cat food to help correct cannibalism, but that's it.
It doesn't sound like anything you're doing is bad, just let her free feed on the crumble and she'll eat it when she wants.
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I <3 haters.
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jlssco
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« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2010, 06:06:42 AM » |
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Sorry, I didn't mention, she was cracking her eggs and eating the insides. Ok thanks for the advice. I just don't want her to starve. I was told by another, if I didn't get her nutrition correct and she was under weight, the summer heat could kill her.
Anyone else ever hear that?
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seavey
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« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2010, 11:01:48 AM » |
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IMO, egg eating is just a bad habit. She could be calcium deficient (are her shells soft or thin?) or vitamin D deficient (is she picking her feathers, too?) or just plain bored. Collect her eggs right away, clean and reline the nest, put something else in the nest (wooden or ceramic egg or a golf ball), and supplement with cod liver oil (if you think its vitamin D) and/or oyster shells (if you think its calcium).
My vote is boredom. You might try scattering some layer pelletts and straw so she has something to scratch.
Everybody is stressed with the heat but so long as she has shade and plenty of fresh water, she's likely OK. Nobody eats as much when it's hot, so I'm not too worried that my girls are off their feed. But you're so right to avoid corn right now. Heat will kill a sick chicken before it kills a healthy one, but unless she's showing signs of heat stress, (panting, holding her wings away from her body, lethargic) she's likely fine.
You could toss some electrolytes in her water if she's looking stressed. Mine are panting some, so I'm changing their water twice a day and tossing some ice cubes in it. Some people use a fan in the coop, but mine wander outside during the day.
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"ohmygoshthisisgoingtobeatrainwreckbuticantlookaway"
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oakbrookfarm
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« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2010, 03:31:49 PM » |
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anyone with more ideas on egg eating??? I feed mine pellets and throw scratch grain on the ground every other day for boredom. they have a 16 x 12 coop (just the hen and her roo). I have let them out in the past but they just go to the barn and poop all over the place while the rooster sits in my potted plants. Coop seems to be enough room and under shade all day. I do know that she LOVES wet cat food ( and will fight the cats for it) so should I try that once a day(?) in her coop?
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seavey
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« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2010, 07:20:48 PM » |
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Have you tried putting a fake egg or a golf ball in the nest?
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"ohmygoshthisisgoingtobeatrainwreckbuticantlookaway"
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