Big fat Ethel is in big, fat trouble!

[stoopid]

Well... This guy's a dummy, and I wasn't planning on giving her back. I'm really afraid of what happens to meat birds past their "time"...
I know cornish get so heavy, that they get crippled, I think that's whats happening to Ethel.
He only had her for like, a week.
She was living in a cardboard box in the hallway of an apartment bldg.
And she was NOT happy there. Oh, poor fat Ethel.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Oh well now that sure is looking better for you, So he bought her as an over the limit meat bird and he didn't have a plan for her ??. Well it happens..... now that you plan to keep her perhaps you can decide what the next move is.

 

[galanie]

Time and time again I see questions where the poster doesn't get the answer they want, and keep talking until they do get the answer they want. Look at the advice given already. And if you just want to keep her, then do. But at least keep her separate from the rest.

 

[LiLRedCV]

Quote:
Since this sentence was written after your comment regarding the organic farms, I understood you to imply organic is vegetarian. Not true. Just trying to help clarify that.

 

[donrae]

The bird I see in the pic isn't what I'd call a meat bird at all. Looks like a mixed breed dual purpose hen. And she's not that big, really. Not so big to have health problems. I have many hens that go 8lbs and free range nicely, that's a fine weight for a dual purpose hen.
As to the egg eating, you've been given your options. Either the bird is yours, and you deal with it by seperating/culling her, or the bird is not yours and the owner needs to deal with it.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
There is a good point being made here by Don.............. and that is the backyard Hatchery ordering loyalist fall head over heals for the hatcheries description of their dual purpose birds, when in fact most of your LF heritage birds an 8lb hen is just a good regular hen and not a fluke of nature. They have pulled the wool over their hatchery customers to the point where they can get away with producing huge amounts of super substandard birds that their customers don't know the difference, hence the thinking that a 7lb hatchery hen must be a godzilla. When in fact it's really just an Ole hatchery mutt.

I hope the OP get's to keep the hen and do what she pleases or whatever will save her from that hen eating or teaching others to eat all her egg's.

 

[stoopid]

OP actually PM'd me yesterday checking in on her. "Another few weeks", and I think Ethel laid her own egg, was sitting on it last nite...
Maybe she was eating the evidence because her fat butt broke all of them!

 

[Mahonri]

You've received lots of wonderful advise. When all is said and done, if she's eating eggs, you eat her.

 

[kari_dawn]

Quote:
I completely agree. I rescue many many hens...lucky me. Free chickens! Lol. I rescued a light brama from work, and brought her home to quarantine her. She ate every egg she laid, even after weeks of high protien diet and lots of greens and variety, she still crushed and ate every egg. I tried everything. I did try mustard filled eggs. I tried bitter apple filled eggs. She ate them anyway. In the end, I ended up taking her back to work, and she was put to sleep. I absolutely hated having to do that. I just could not risk her bad habits transfering to my other girls.

I am curious for updates though. The bird in the picture looks like a dual purpose to my inexperienced eye. Not a tottering meat bird past her "expiration" date. How is she doing now? Did you decide to keep her or have her owner pick her up?

 

[stoopid]

Another few weeks, I am told. Yargh...