10 mo Buff Orp Hen - Underweight?

[SilverChickie]

I've been noticing lately that my 10 month old Buff Orp Ruby has been feeling a little skinny compared to the girls (all the same age)_ but today I really noticed it. I can feel her breastbone prominently all the way up and down, she has hardly any meat on her. I weighed her today and she barely hit three pounds. All the other girls are the same age, but are closer to five pounds. Even my scrawny EE weighs more than she does.

She is active and happy, comb looks normal and her eyes are bright. They free range in the backyard all day, only shut in at night. They have access to food and water all day and we give them treats often. I don't see any of the others picking on her. She lays lovely big brown eggs just a regularly as normal.

Just a bit worried. She is SO skinny compared to the other girls; I don't know if she's put on any weight in the past few months.

So, is this normal, maybe just a scrawny chicken, or is she underweight? If so, why and what can I do about it?

Many thanks!

And some pics:
Mom's foot for a size comparison.

A close up of her face.

 

[CMV]

I have a skinny bird I choose to call "athletic". I don't have a scale for weighing, so I feel the keels on my birds to see where their weight is at. One bird in particular always has a prominent keel, and for the longest time I was worried about her and watched her carefully to make sure she was eating enough. She was eating fine, didn't have worms, and was basically healthy except she was smaller and thinner than her coopmates. It is just that her body type was thinner than the other hens I have. She's fine and always has been.

If your bird seems healthy, then I wouldn't worry overmuch about her weight. If you are genuinely concerned then maybe de-worm her, but I wouldn't even bother to do that unless her condition appears to warrant it. Judging from the pics you posted I would say she is healthy as can be- bright, clear eyes; glossy, full feathers; laying an egg a day...What more could you ask for?

 

[SilverChickie]

Hmm, I had considered that. People have different body types, why not chickens? Heh. Might just be me being a worried first-time chicken mama.
I'm going to continue to keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn't get worse.

 

[SilverChickie]

Anybody else have any opinions or advice to offer?

 

[Agnella]

I've noticed this in my girls too!

I have 8 BO's...all about to celebrate their 1st birthdays

Two of them are BIG girls...I can really feel their weight when they sit on my lap. And a few of them are quite small with prominent breast bones.

They all are bright eyed and bushy tailed so I haven't worried about it.

Good luck!

 

[tammye]

I also have a BO that is thin and small, but she is my best layer, wonder if it is because she is such a good layer, takes a lot out of her. I still get an egg a day out of her all winter!I try to make sure she gets her fair share of food and treats and even give her more corn on cold nights than the others to help keep her warm, she is such a great hen.

 

[chkn]

Has she been wormed?

 

[kandie-kiss]

All of my BO hens seem small so I just assumed that is how they are

 

[SilverChickie]

She hasn't been wormed - but a lot of you seem to be saying you have similar hens, so for the moment I won't worry about it. I'll still keep an eye on her though and come back if it gets worse.

Thanks for your help!

 

[dawg53]

My Red Star is skinny. Hardly no meat on her bones at all. She is parasite free internally and externally, eats normally and lays an egg daily, very active and loves to aggravate the others.