Hen on a diet??

[rockin_chick32]

I JUST got a hen from a lady I am in 4-H with, she is a very loving and sweet 2-year-old Nankin named Sugar. There is only one problem--She is severely overweight.

I need to put her on a diet in order to get her healthy enough to show, but she also has a calcium deficiency and is molting!
She just layed an egg when we got home, and it had NO shell...

Any suggestions on what I can do to get her healthy again?

 

[Akane]

What has she been eating? Most chickens don't seem to get fat too easy on chicken feed. It's usually chickens that are overly confined and fed lots of fatty table scraps or treats that get fat. A proper diet of layer feed and some space to move around should be all it takes.

 

[rockin_chick32]

Alright! She was living in a small chicken-tractor-like area with three others; all day open to grass, plus being fed layers crumbles...PLUS lots of treats. So I am pretty sure this is part of the problem.

She is also in the habit of laying next to the food at night to eat, and eat, and eat. Will taking this away at night be a good idea (just to get her out of the habit of late-night snacking)?

Now, about the calcium intake---How to I increase that without increasing the fat intake? It seems most of the items you can give them as "Around-the-house" Remedies have a considerable amount of fat in them.

Thank you!

 

[michickenwrangler]

Free choice oyster shell or crushed eggshell. If she's deprived, she'll nibble on it. Most animals are smarter than humans in that they eat what they need. If she needs it, she'll eat it.

If you feel the need to give her dairy products, go with whey or skim milk.