Abdominal fat in old layers

[cattaillady]

I just culled four birds that were no longer laying, and I am wondering to what extent their abdominal fat played into it. A friend gave them to me- they had come from a stationary coop/run and were put into my mobile coop/run. They were feeding them twice a day, it sounded like, and I'm in the habit of free-choice layer pellets and I've started giving fermented scratch/barley (limited organic options around here for whole grains in small-flock amounts). I may have been over-doing the fermented feed since they weren't cleaning it all up, but I'm also trying to water down the calcium in their food since the old girls were slowing down for the season and the 5-month-olds haven't started yet and finding anything soy-free but layer is basically impossible. They were clearly eating grass, but didn't understand the joys of bolted lettuces being chucked in the run, which leads me to believe they understand "food" to be mostly pellets/grains. They are 2.5 years old and it is November in Maine, so I know that's playing a part in the slow down. They also went from regular feed to soy-free which can play a part.

The hens seemed to have reasonably palpable keelbones, but when I was removing the guts, there was quite a plug of yellow fat in their abdomens. Maybe 1/2 cup-ish each? How much SHOULD there be, and is there a way to tell before they hit the butcher block? I work, so if I limit feed it's one feeding per day, which is why I've let them do it free-choice. I'm also not sure I want to limit feed/calories since it's (finally) cold around here for the season.

Do any of you have thoughts on what about this I might be able to control now, what should just wait until spring, and what can really only be solved by raising my own babies who understand that pellets are inferior to garden scraps and grubs even if they are always available? I still have 3 old girls, 5 5-month-olds, and I'll be picking up a new set of 6 2.5-year-olds that she says are still laying (for now), today. (I'm very proud of myself for culling the first set- a first for me, but I'm hoping to not cull again until it's above freezing. The outdoors part was rough.)

Thanks for your insight!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Stick to chicken feed and limit the grain as much as possible. The easiest thing is to feed a grower or all flock feed and offer oyster shell in a separate container for those still making egg shells. That will keep the calcium to about 1% and still have sufficient nutrients and amino acids. The grains are low in protein, especially the essential amino acids of lysine, methionine and possibly tryptophan.
Feed free choice, they won't overeat chicken feed.
Excess fat (like your culled hens) definitely affects laying. Fat hens don't lay well.

 

[sourland]

"Fat hens don't lay well", and non laying older hens tend to become fat. Sort of like some older folks.

 

[cattaillady]

@ChickenCanoe Part of my challenge is that half the reason I have chickens is for soy-free meat and eggs. I have yet to find a commercial soy-free grower or chick feed that I can source reasonably locally and/or won't make me go broke. You're right about the protein, though. I do need to think harder about that part. Thanks for your input!

@sourland Yeah, I was kind of wondering if it might an, uh, chicken and egg situation there

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You could contact managers at all your local feed stores to ask if they could bring in some soy free feed for you with their regular shipments.