Do you ever limit the chickens' feed to keep them from getting fat?

[Tuffoldhen]

I have read that feeding scratch or corn grains and too many treats will cause hens to become fat and they can have internal laying problems which mean they stop all together from laying...My thoughts and opinions...

Feeders are always kept full 24/7 with layer pellets and fresh water available everyday!

 

[Oblio13]

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No, I tried that with a wife once and learned my lesson.

 

[CarriBrown]

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Agreed. And it sounds like you have them on a good diet. Do your other hens appear to be overweight? I'm also wondering if what you saw wasn't fat. I suggest looking at Cynthia's post on internal laying to see if that's what you were dealing with. It sounds a lot like what she saw.

 

[CarriBrown]

Here is a link to her necropsy pictures. Be aware that they are graphic.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=106294

 

[Rosalind]

No, it was definitely fat, for sure. My undergrad was a bio/pre-med major with lots of physiology and histology and dissections, grad school included animal research and dissections--I'm pretty darn sure. It's a reasonable question though. Imagine the top half of that pinkish muscle oviduct (still stuffed with a couple of eggs), absolutely wrapped in bright yellow chicken fat, and I had to cut down through the fat to see the pinkish surface of the oviduct. Out of the left (well, my left, her right) side, the crunchy edge of an eggshell poking out and a big flap of bloody liver sort of crumbling around it. And that was after a lot of blood and fluid was washed off so I could see anything in the peritoneal cavity.

There is no way we can free-range around here. Far too many predators. My dog does his best, but can't get all of 'em. I'm lucky to have any chickens at all--my neighbors have lost all theirs to foxes, fishers and coyotes (they don't have LGDs). The chickens have a 15x12 run, but it is currently covered in snow and ice (roof is hardware cloth), and they do NOT like to go out in snow and ice. Well, a few of the EEs, the Welsummers and the Buttercups go out in the snow, but the rest just sort of poke their heads out the hole and cluck worriedly. With the current weather predictions, they're not going to see grass or dirt for the next month.

I really did not think the veggies and fruit from the crisper drawer or a few cups of leftover cereal would get them that tubby. I know they aren't getting any treats from DH because he will eat any bread that isn't actually green, and throws everything in the trash regardless of what it is

. From now on, the wilted lettuces and stale cereal goes on the compost heap.

My other Cochin looks big and heavy, but I always thought, you know, they're standard Cochins, they're supposed to be pretty big, right? The other one has always been more aggressive and active though.

The reason I'm wondering specifically if it's the layer feed is because I have some Phoenix I got from Napalongtails, and they get a special feed mix--game bird crumbles and fresh food that is high in protein and fiber, with more brown rice and greens. And the Phoenix look gorgeous--the pullets are laying every other day with no problems at all, they hop into the box, make a little "bok" noise, and five seconds later there's a perfect little egg. None of the fussing and hay-throwing and dancing around that the other girls do. In fact, I could swear those Phoenix girls give the other ones snotty looks, like, "I'm a better Mommy than you!"

Also, I've had the same layer feed for the girls for the past few years, and whenever I've had a layer hen die and need a necropsy, they've always been fatty. Our vet and the Dept. of Ag. guy both commented on them being quite well-fed. That's why I'm leaning towards it being a layer feed issue.

 

[MissPrissy]

Chickens do need some fat. Like people some make more fat than others. What you are seeing is not the norm.

But remember this - no matter where you are - most animals do pad themselves with extra fat for winter months. They need it. They also tend to loose it in the spring and summer as they are far more active and productive.

If you cut their feed/layer ration you will start to see a drastic loss in egg production.

If you want eggs lay the feed out and let them eat free choice 24/7.

If you are raising chickens to keep alive 15 years, restrict their feed, don't plan to have really nice feathering and sharp looks, and you will begin to see very low egg production for most of the year.

 

[Rosalind]

Hmm. OK, so here's my question: Most of my birdies, with the exception of the Phoenix, are hatchery birds (Cackle & Ideal). How likely is it that this is a genetic quality problem vs. feed problem?

The feed problem I can fix. I can put the "regular chickens" on the same fresh diet as the Phoenix, replace the layer pellets with game bird rations. They're my laying flock, but I can live with getting less eggs, and the Phoenix seem to lay pretty well. I'm planting four of my garden beds in birdie food this year anyway--amaranth, quinoa, flax, lentils, kale, calendula, Sand Hill greens mix, sunflowers, beetberry. I can grind up fishies in my meat grinder, bones and all, so they'll get plenty of protein, and I can start a worm bin or three for them. I was going to do that anyway, just for economy's sake to offset the costs of layer pellets.

But if this is a genetic problem, that will be of limited help. In the past, the laying flock has produced some weird eggs--wrinkled, round as a tennis ball, big as a goose egg etc. and some of that does seem to be a genetic thing that doesn't vary by season or illness. This year's batch-o-chicks is coming from Sand Hill as opposed to the big hatcheries. Do you think that would help moreso than the feed change?

ETA: OK, the other Cochin is apparently fine. She just laid a decent-size egg in the nest box ("large" in store-boughten terms) and her underneathy bits look normal. She's pecking around at the snow at the hatch door opening and not especially pigging out on feed. She is about 14 inches tall and weighs 8 lbs. I'm guessing to some extent on the weight, she won't stay on the scale for long. Still concerned about her though, she has that waddle type of walk that you mostly see on broiler chickens--the others walk more like pigeons.

 

[chickiebaby]

I have most definitely read that chickens can be trusted not to overeat - that's assuming they're eating good quality apropriate food. If you tossed them lasagne or hot dogs or other people foods that arent good for us either, on a regular basis, that might be different. But living of compostable scraps and a healthy local feed, free ranging some IF yu're able - no.

Your chicken may have had a disorder that caused the fatty diseased material you saw. In people, we see all kinds of endocrine probs that llead to poor regulation of fat deposition, as you describe - or maybe she's a longtime alcoholic - dunno!

I wouldnt restrict feed at all - esp in the winter when hens need ther fatty deposits to make it through and provide us with amazing eggs.

best.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

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No, I tried that with a wife once and learned my lesson.

I keep the feeders full. I throw scratch on the barn floor every morning, They just love to move those little feet and peck.

I have layer crumbles in a black neoprine tub in the front part of the barn so they can come in and eat a little then go back to free ranging.

I have two feeders, one with poultry grain and one with layer.

I have ONE 2 gallon waterer that they emtpy every day at least.
I find this a good thing, it forces me to clean and replace thier water.

I throw bread, yogurt, horse feed and other things to them for treats. I have not foung ONE overwieght bird. If anything I see a few that are a bit underwieght, especially the silkies.

 

[greathorse]

If you veiw egg production as a part of your goal for keeping chickens, the most effecient way to get the most eggs for your dollar is to feed your chickens a high quality diet free choice. The amount of feed an animal can consume as a percent of thier own weight is an indicator of thier productiveness. A leghorn eats a lot less than a orpington for example, but as a percent of body weight eats as much or more. Restricting diets in animals intended for food production is counter productive.

Listen to Miss Prissy she knows.

If you restrict feed on a flock of 20 hens so you can afford to feed them it would be my suggestion to have 10 birds, feed them all they can eat and get a better conversion of feed per egg.

I have always had my birds on all they can eat and I frankly surprised at how little they consume.

Greens in addition to the feed they are getting now will not make them fatter. It aids in digestion and is very good for them. Not a lot of calories in lettuce