Speaking of that, maybe
@BY Bob has some suggestions. 6 went to freezer camp today, a young drake ('extra') and 5 older hens. 2 of them had so much fat on them, I could literally peel it off the inside of their skin/belly in one huge hunk!
I don't know what to do to keep them healthier.
They, for the most part, get only feed & free range. Lately I've been giving them a warm mash in the mornings - it consists of their pellets, chopped veggies ( partially cooked), and once a week a bit of kefir added in. They haven't had scratch grains most of the summer ( only once or twice when I needed them to come in early from free ranging), and I have been giving them some now that it is cold only on the coldest nights, so not very often. When I do, they only get about 3 cups worth (remember, I have almost 130 animals...so that is only one cup for about 40 birds...at 30cc/ounce, so 240 cc per cup, that is only about 6 cc per bird, or 1/5th of an ounce volume wise - so not very much.
Yes, they were higher in the pecking order, those two...but the fat was 1/2 in thick pad!
yikes! I don't know what to do! They do get free choice feed. until recently, I would let them run out around 2 pm & refill feeders when I got home from work...but the last few weeks, it is dark shortly after 4 pm, the time I'm getting home, so I make sure they have plenty of feed so they don't go to bed hungry..... especially with the cold
