Can a chicken be too fat to lay an egg?

[floridachickhatcher]

LOL my mom wanted me to ask this question cause some of the hens weigh 10-15 pounds they are huge and heavy but i really think its cause the lady who sold us some chickens gave us more old non laying hens than young layers cause we tested them and found out that all 10 of her australorps she sold us were not laying and then tested some of the RIR and so far 5 were not laying and now tested 4 more and they are non laying and have a 5th on in the brooder house to see if she will lay an egg if she doesnt we toss her into a small run my mom built for the roosters and non layers to be sold

 

[Beekissed]

Yes...they can actually be too fat to lay. Excess fat around sex organs can result in no, or irregular, ovulation patterns~this is true for many animals, including humans.

 

[Erica]

Beekissed is right. Too much fat in the cavity will also put pressure around the organs and the egg won't pass through the oviduct (egg canal) easily.

You can put the birds on a diet by feeding smaller amounts twice a day, or make them exercise more by spreading the food around. Lots of extra fresh greens, and high fibre feeds like bran (added to a mash, for instance) can also help a lot in reducing fat.

cheers
Erica

 

[SA newbie]

Yip too fat is a problem! Had my one BA "Fat Feathers" yes aptly named on diet now for a month with excercise and she has started to lay again. Cut any corn and treats out completely, just give the layer feed and nothing else except what she can get through foraging- makes her get some excercise. Should work!

 

[brownysfp]

I wish! Coucou de France "Miss Piggy" has 3500m2 to forage in, gets no preferential treatment, no treats and has never laid an egg in her life. She's bloody huge whilst her three sisters are the normal size for the breed. They're good layers, reliable broodies and first rate mums to their own and fostered chicks. Put a chick near this monster and she'd probably snack it without blinking.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
I'm sure the others are correct in that an overweight hen may stop laying, but keep in mind that many hens will stop laying when transferred to a new home. It may take a month or so after moving to a new location before the hens will resume laying (if they were laying before being moved). Many of my young hens are not laying at all right now, because of less daylight hours. Some of them have not resumed laying since their molt.