Hungry Chicken

[OldForum]

Petheaven 15.04.07
Separating my skinny little featherless chicken from the bullies has worked and she is thriving. But she seems to be very hungry. I'm just feeding layers mash-available all day, and then corn and rice as treats. I tried introducing greens but they all had runny poops so have stopped and everythings ok now. The two big girls are fine, its just my little chicken, I'm concerned that I should be feeding her more-but what.
Any ideas? Thanks

christie
Hi, I am not an expert but I bought mine some mealworms from the pet-shop and they instantly devoured them, too pricey to do on a regular basis but as a one off treat?
If you dig up a few worms and grubs she will I am sure be in 7th heaven, even better let her help dig.
I have also given my ladies noodles or rice, I stir in marmite or poultry spice, even a little cheese or a grated hard boiled egg (including the shell).
I wish mine would eat some greens but as yet they wont (other than grass), nor will they eat grapes or other goodies they are supposed to love. Like your girls it's early days and its trial and error, they seem to know what they like.
Christie

AnnaB
Have you tried porridge? Easy and cheap to make. You can mix in 'poultry spice' or 'solvit' and also oyster shell Mine really love this treat but I have recently withdrawn it due to one overpecking the other.

Petheaven
Thanks for the info. I had some freeze-dried mealworms that I bought for the wild birds during breeding season. Have tried my little chicken on these as a treat and she loves them-takes them out of my hand. I'll try the porridge later this week. She's growing lots of new feathers down her back-so thats probably why she's so hungry. I've been mixing Poultry Spice in their food and have bought some layers pellets to try them with. I've also been giving them a bucket of leaf mould, one of them found a worm and ran around with it for ages being chased by the other!