provarmint 25 Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 My chickens seem underweight even though they have access to food (layers pellets) during daylight hours, they are wormed (with flubenvet) have access to grit (shell,flint)are free range albeit in a 20x10 yard enclosure and are still laying every day.Is there something that I can give them to fatten them up, keel bone quite prominent. Cheers, PV. P.S. they're Black Rhodies Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JoeD 24 Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 How long have you had them and are the ex battery chooks? As it may be old age and if they are ex battery then they will be skinny ours are and still lay each day and have food and water for them in daylght hours etc. If they seem fine in themselves then I wouldn't worry about it. Hope it has helped, JoeD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,172 Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Old layers will have a prominant breast bone, but I always feed mine a warm mash in the winter: just pour a little hot water over their layers pellets so they go crumbly moist, not sloppy. I've also discovered that chickens just love Vitalin (dog food) which is pretty much the same price as layers pellets: mine have put back a lot of weight since feeding them a mixture of layers pellets and a bit of Vitalin. They also get mixed corn in the aftenoons. You could also try giving them warm water to drink in this very cold weather: even birds don't like having to drink nigh on freezing water: its important they keep up their fluid intake if they are laying. My birds are a year old and have laid throughout the winter without missing a day and they are definitely up to weight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trapperman 474 Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 you can soak some wheat in cooking oil to give some extra fat or use lard and make a cake like you would for wild birds they seem to like this if its very cold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,172 Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Good tip that I also chuck down lumps of fat that the butcher gives me: they love it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
provarmint 25 Posted January 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Chicks only born last year, so not old or ex battery, I find them unusual as they don't like greens to much,the light sussex I had were totally different, anyway thanks for the feed-back I'll try the lard cake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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