Big fat Ethel is in big, fat trouble!

[stoopid]

As some of you guys have been following, I rescued Ethel (well, it was supposed to be temporary) a few months ago.
She is a meat bird that was saved from being eaten, the owner decided he was going to keep her, and there was a move involved, now she is with me until....?
I am concerned because she is so fat she can hardly get around. She waddles around, and when I weighed her this morning, she is now 8.1 lbs.

I don't mind taking care of the freeloader, but now I have just found out she is eating everyone's eggs!
I know this time of year production slows down, but last nite we caught her in the act, and this is unacceptable!
What is her fate? I know nothing about meaties, she came from some organic farm in upstate NY.
Does she NEED to be eaten? Will she live thru the winter? Or will she explode?
Help! I really don't know what to do with her!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Put her in her own pen for now if she is eating eggs. Put her on reduced feed to get her lightened up.

Otherwise eat her.

 

[stoopid]

I wish I had separate pens, I could have a killer breeding program!
Any idea what breed she is?

 

[al6517]

She doesn't look like any standard meat bird to me, and 8lbs isn't all that big or unusual for a good non hatchery LF hen. I would be more concerned about her being an egg eater, they are the worst. restricting her feed will help but that may only fuel her egg eating habit if you can't seperate her she will soon teach the others this bad habit and then your really sunk. If her origins were from an Organic farm that there is the source of her egg eating and her need for real animal protein in her diet, more egg eaters come from organic feeding programs than any other real aniamls protein feed regimine. Personaly I don't have the time nor the inclination to deal with egg eaters, they are never worth my time, so I jet them and be done with them. but that's just me.

 

[stoopid]

I was actually surprised it wasn't more, she's a handful. Maybe I'll get out the real scale. This was on a people scale.
She doesn't seem to eat more than everyone else, but with all the high protein eggs she has been sneaking...

 

[Bossroo]

Quote:

This chicken is not only eating feed as well as valuable housing that could be used by a much more productive one, but she is adding insult to injury by consuming food (eggs) meant for your and your family's consumption.

She is nothing more than a money pit.

I would have invited her to dinner yesterday !

 

[stoopid]

But the catch is, she is "staying here" until her owner retrieves her.
I'm babysitting. What yould you do if I said I would watch her until you moved, and then ATE HER?

 

[kfacresagain]

Quote:
I would take her back home... seriously doubt that she's just visiting for a short period of time... I'm guessing her "owner" knows what she is like, and would rather push it off on somebody else instead of doing the dead.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Quote:
I would take her back home... seriously doubt that she's just visiting for a short period of time... I'm guessing her "owner" knows what she is like, and would rather push it off on somebody else instead of doing the dead.

X2. Give them a deadline to pick her up, and if they miss it, she's off to Camp Kenmore!

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I would take her back home... seriously doubt that she's just visiting for a short period of time... I'm guessing her "owner" knows what she is like, and would rather push it off on somebody else instead of doing the dead.

Iam glad you said it first, it's what I was thinking myself, I have sold egg eaters before at market cause I didn't want to lose $$ on them and sure didn't want to keep them. But I would never do that to my friends. I do however see your point that it's like hey here is my hen watch her for awhile, and then when he comes back your like yeah.... I ate her LOL, you would be in hot water but she costing you egg too. Just call him and say........... hey come pick up this worthless hen you pawned off on me and see if he comes and get's her. I hope it works out for you, it's tight spot your in for sure.