Is my hen eating too much?

I have just two hens; a goldline and a Rhode rock. Both have always been in good condition but it is starting to worry me that every morning my goldline will take a few bites then go about her business but the Rhode will be pecking away for a long time afterwards. She also drinks much more water. She's a lot bigger than her companion and lays sometimes two eggs a day whereas the goldline generally sticks to one but the difference in appetite is immense. Is this a problem?

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined the flock!

Just as a fun fact, a Goldline is a Red Sex-Link and a Rhode Rock is a Black Sex-Link; hatcheries always label them differently depending on their cross. I'm suggest sending a private message @sumi , she's really good at that sort of thing. It could just be that your hen needs more nutrients. Could you post a comparison pic for size?

Welcome to BYC! I wouldn't worry too much. Chickens have the natural sense of self-control and very few chickens eat more than they need.

I will send a pic soon. We give them frequent food scraps and they often get into the kitchen and eat the dog food and are always provided with grit but my Rhode has come up with several weak eggs in the past. I've put this off until now because trust them to eat the amount they need, no more no less. Thanks

Sounds like your girls are getting too many treats and not enough of their nutritionally sound layer feed they should be eating. Do they have a container of crushed oyster sell on the side, they will take it if they need for calcium for good egg shells? Does your light eater also free range? She may be happily with the bug diet.

Rikei Matsuko said:

I have just two hens; a goldline and a Rhode rock. Both have always been in good condition but it is starting to worry me that every morning my goldline will take a few bites then go about her business but the Rhode will be pecking away for a long time afterwards. She also drinks much more water. She's a lot bigger than her companion and lays sometimes two eggs a day whereas the goldline generally sticks to one but the difference in appetite is immense. Is this a problem?

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Welcome to BYC! My grandparents had a hen like that, who laid two eggs a day. Which may explain why she is such an enthusiastic eater too, it takes a LOT to put an egg together, food and water.

I see Drumstick Diva mentioned the treats you're feeding, treats should not make up more than 10% of the hens' daily food intake. The other 90% should be mostly a good quality layer feed and with this prolific layer, I'd suggest keeping a bowl of crushed oyster shells around, so she can help herself when she needs a bit more calcium.

Over the years I've raised too many chickens to count and I've had one that wouldn't stop eating. She was a butterball. If your hen's weight is normal and healthy, I wouldn't worry. It would also not hurt to deworm them once or twice a year, as a precaution, especially if they free range.

Here is some more info on eggs, feeding, etc: https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Here are some pics as promised. As for treats although they get it quite frequently its just some cabbage or rice and sometimes mash with some corn (should I not give them corn on a pellet diet?) the rest goes to the dog. They spend a lot of time free in the garden but not always. The Rhode is considerably heavier I will post a photo asap. I admit I haven't given them worming feed in a while but it hasn't been more than a year. They are rarely without grit and their main feed is layers pellets- good ones. Probably 90% of my Rhodes diet is pellets and 85% of my light's as she eats a lot of dog food ⌒.⌒ My light is best at foraging and catching bugs. I mix their eggshells in with their grit and occasionally give them raw egg

Thanks everyone!

Rikei Matsuko said:

Here are some pics as promised. As for treats although they get it quite frequently its just some cabbage or rice and sometimes mash with some corn (should I not give them corn on a pellet diet?) the rest goes to the dog. They spend a lot of time free in the garden but not always. The Rhode is considerably heavier I will post a photo asap. I admit I haven't given them worming feed in a while but it hasn't been more than a year. They are rarely without grit and their main feed is layers pellets- good ones. Probably 90% of my Rhodes diet is pellets and 85% of my light's as she eats a lot of dog food ⌒.⌒ My light is best at foraging and catching bugs. I mix their eggshells in with their grit and occasionally give them raw egg

Thanks everyone!

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Anata no hon'no o shinrai
Anata no ken o shinrai

The rhode rock is a meat bird and the gold line is a egg bird!
lovely birds by the way!!!

Welcome to the BYC flock! We are glad you joined us!