Are My Chickens Too Fat?

[schellie69]

Quote:
I am concerned too... What do you do with a fat chicken (and don't say eat it please)

I have the same question... about two of our leghorn roosters. We haven't tried to weigh them. They are only 12 weeks old and one in particular is really fat!!!
Over 5 pounds for sure... maybe closer to 10!!! The second one is beginning to show signs of getting too fat also! Someone mentioned that this breed, unfortunately, has been bred to grow quickly and to be big... so much so that some even have heart attacks and die! Is this true??? The hen is seemingly normal. I need to post some photos... I only have video clips at the moment.

Are you sure they are leghorn and not Cornish crosses---Cornish crosses are breed to eat get fat and be butchered by 12-14 weeks. I would double check and see if you don't have Cornish crosses. I have a leghorn cross leghorns are known for being a thinner breed. The only chickens bred to get fat fast are Cornish crosses and freedom rangers.

 

[ClareScifi]

That is interesting about your rooster, Vickie. I hope he is nice and healthy. I have heard about chickens having heart attacks, even non-fat ones, who appear to be in the best of health, with bright red combs and such.

The speaker last night said that non-layers will have a yellow ring in their eyes. He had thought maybe my nonlaying hen is just taking a break and maybe won't be much of a layer for the rest of her life.

However, when I looked at her eyes this morning and saw no yellow, I think she may very well just be too fat to lay. This gives me hope that if I continue her on her diet (no scratch, lots of exercise via free-ranging to her heart's content and good health), she just might start laying again when she loses a few pounds.

Keep us posted on your boys. I'd love to see pictures of them!

 

[vickiecampbellusa]

Quote:
I am concerned too... What do you do with a fat chicken (and don't say eat it please)

I have the same question... about two of our leghorn roosters. We haven't tried to weigh them. They are only 12 weeks old and one in particular is really fat!!!
Over 5 pounds for sure... maybe closer to 10!!! The second one is beginning to show signs of getting too fat also! Someone mentioned that this breed, unfortunately, has been bred to grow quickly and to be big... so much so that some even have heart attacks and die! Is this true??? The hen is seemingly normal. I need to post some photos... I only have video clips at the moment.

Are you sure they are leghorn and not Cornish crosses---Cornish crosses are breed to eat get fat and be butchered by 12-14 weeks. I would double check and see if you don't have Cornish crosses. I have a leghorn cross leghorns are known for being a thinner breed. The only chickens bred to get fat fast are Cornish crosses and freedom rangers.

You are absolutely right about the breed of our "gringos." I thought someone had told me they looked like leghorns... so I went back and looked at my previous posts. They did suggest they were Cornish Crosses alright... and one post said we had all pullets! In the last few weeks, we discovered that two were "boys"... Barley & Sunny. Sadly, after reading post after post about their life span, I was a little sad. We have enjoyed Barley & Sunny so much over the last few weeks... letting them free-range each day, watching them take dirth baths... going "worm hunting" with them... and for them - without their help

Finding them dead some day, or "heaven forbid"

seeing them have a heart attack would perhaps be traumatic for both my husband and me. They are getting exercise each day... running around the yard, sometimes flying a little to get ahead faster. They know their names and usually come running when we call them. As for Barley the "big"

He will probably be the first to go to rooster heaven. Eat them afterwards? I don't think we can "stomach" that. It seems kind of heartless for us! They have been beloved pets... and neither one of us ever planned to put them on our dinner table. We don't have dogs of cats or anything else

, so we will really miss them when they're gone!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT! HerBe is a pic of the three of them. I actually have a great little video clip of a dirt bath session, but it's too many bytes to post.
Did you see our previous photo of Buddy (our game roo)? If you read the recent story about him... you'd wonder if he "made it" following a head injury. I am thrilled to report that he has healed and is almost back to his old self! Prayers have been lifted before the throne of grace... (yes, even for a chicken) and God certainly answered us! I'll post that pic again here just for fun. Blessings to ALL of you who have posted your comments! I've said it before... and I'll repeat my impression... BYC'rs are the best!!! Great help for such an inexperienced chicken lover!!!

 

[cochinGurl]

not realy. maybe a little chubby, but they look pretty normal.

 

[ClareScifi]

I sent their pics to friends and got interesting responses. Most thought they looked happy & healthy.

One said, "It looks like they get plenty of good things to eat." LOL. (Was that a nice way of saying they are, indeed, fat?)

Another friend wrote, "Tell your hens that Big Is Beautiful!" Oh, dear!

Another said, "The chickens in the photo are saying, 'We are Fluffy, not Stuffy!!'"

 

[ClareScifi]

Here is a picture of my chicken (scroll down, 2d post) who has the grayish comb, before it went gray. She is pictured in the foreground. This photo was taken in the spring.

Do you think her size could have caused her to develop a heart problem?

 

[kbarnell]

weigh yourself....then hold one of the chickens and weigh yourself again. the difference is the weight of the chicken. I used this method with my cats