How can I keep my Cochins from getting fat?

[Farmgirl283420]

I just got 3 chicks all of them Cochins one is a frizzle Cochin I read they are kinda lazy and will just hang by the feeders and get fat!!!! Is this true?and if so how can I keep them from getting fat we keep our chickens in a run it’s a very big run but still it’s not free ranging I think it’s funny but I don’t want it to cause issues so please help me think of ideas!!!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I just got 3 chicks all of them Cochins one is a frizzle Cochin I read they are kinda lazy and will just hang by the feeders and get fat!!!! Is this true?

It *might* be true that they hang by the feeder or go out foraging their own feed less than some other breeds.

Chickens will have a natural amount of fat they carry.. but they don't get fat being fed a formulated ration free choice.

Don't over feed excess high energy treats like BOSS, meal worms, scrambled eggss, or scratch.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

It *might* be true that they hang by the feeder or go out foraging their own feed less than some other breeds.

Chickens will have a natural amount of fat they carry.. but they don't get fat being fed a formulated ration free choice.

Don't over feed excess high energy treats like BOSS, meal worms, scrambled eggss, or scratch.

Ok thanks however we have a like 20 pound bag of scratch grains for the other girls thanks I’ll limit their treats by a lot

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are you sure you're not thinking of CornishX?

Cochins look fat with their fluff, but they don't get fat unless they eat super fatty and unhealthy foods a lot

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Jacin beat me to it--I think you're thinking of Cornish cross! I have had Cochins for many years, large fowl and bantam, and have always free-fed them like all of my other breeds without any issues with them getting fat.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Are you sure you're not thinking of CornishX?

Cochins look fat with their fluff, but they don't get fat unless they eat super fatty and unhealthy foods a lot

Their Cochins but their was something I read that said they’d get fat!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Their Cochins but their was something I read that said they’d get fat!

Do you have a link to where you read that so I can read it in context? Sometimes things make sense in context when they don't with a blanket comment.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

My blue Cochin hen is almost five years old. She probably weighs 8-9 pounds. My partridge Cochin pullet was hatched in mid-May of 2022 and already weighs 6-7 pounds. Blue is very low in the pecking order. Shirley Partridge is middle of the pack. Both get about a tablespoon of treats when they come back in the run from their supervised free range time and free feed on a mix of all flock and meatbird chow. They have oyster shells available all the time. Blue does like to hang out with me as that’s the best time for her to eat in peace. She also stays out in the run with Shirley and the other three pullets (2 Salmon Faverolles and a Barnevelder) to eat after the other girls have gone into the coop of an evening. None of my girls are obese, even with the treats. I think it depends on how much they get outside and whether they get too many treats - kinda like us!

 

[Chicken poppy]

I just got 3 chicks all of them Cochins one is a frizzle Cochin I read they are kinda lazy and will just hang by the feeders and get fat!!!! Is this true?and if so how can I keep them from getting fat we keep our chickens in a run it’s a very big run but still it’s not free ranging I think it’s funny but I don’t want it to cause issues so please help me think of ideas!!!!

To put it simply no. Cochins will look fat because of their abundance of fluffy feathers, mostly on their butt. Lacking a proper tail.

Of course, they can get fat. But they are no more likely to be obese then any other chicken breed.

Infact, my cochin was the one running around the most, we called her torpedo Emmy. She ran with her head down and would beat everyone to food like a race.