Chubby Chickens

[mrdruids]

is it very unhealthy for a chicken to be a bit pudgy? i dont know if mine is getting fat or just growing still. but she is kind of a treat hog and i dont want her dying of a heart attack or something.....

 

[MassivelyScrambled]

Not much too worry about really Mr Druids. Just realize that the majority of their diet should be their actual chicken feed, not treats or scraps. Except for cornish meat birds, chickens generally don't overeat.

Meat birds will actaully eat themselves to death if you don't remove the food.

 

[magicpigeon]

Just make sure the bulk of their food is chicken food not treats. Feed them treats last, and sparingly. I have not known a chicken to eat itself to death YET, though I know it can happen in pigeons

 

[southerndesert]

This is our daily routine...

We are feeding only their normal feed and some alfalfa in the morning otherwise they will just wait for treats and not eat their layer feed.

Mid day they get some table scraps etc.

The kids hand feed a small amount scratch and BOSS in the afternoon if they want.

Nothing in the pen and run except their regular feed before roosting.

We have learned that if we feed our birds too much treats etc. egg production and quality sometimes suffers in our flocks....

 

[mrdruids]

Quote:
our egg production has been down a bit, maybe im over treating them

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
our egg production has been down a bit, maybe im over treating them

Your egg production could be down due to heat as well, but we try to make sure our flocks get 10% or less treats and mostly a balanced diet from their layer pellets and what they find free ranging in the yard.