I have an obese chicken

[hayley3]

I rescued her from some "immigrant nomads" that didn't take care of her or her sisters. They actually jumped the fence. So she went a long time without food and now she's so overweight I was shocked when I picked her up. I want to stop feeding all my hens for a few days...they have plenty of grass to eat. Just wondering if anyone has ever stopped feeding their hens for a few days. Or any other ideas that I could do to trim down this hen. Her sister is obese too, matter of fact.

 

[Sonya9]

Are you sure they aren't broilers?

 

[sourland]

Completely cutting out feed is a great way to trigger a break in their laying cycle. Why not just reduce the amount that you feed?

 

[hayley3]

Are you sure they aren't broilers?

One is a buff orpington...I need to figure out what the other one is.

 

[hayley3]

Completely cutting out feed is a great way to trigger a break in their laying cycle. Why not just reduce the amount that you feed?

Because the obese ones beat everybody to the feeder and would eat it all and then only the others would get thin.

 

[GracePoultry]

Because the obese ones beat everybody to the feeder and would eat it all and then only the others would get thin.

can you separate them out?

 

[FrostRanger]

Pictures of the birds in question would be helpful in IDing them

 

[nuthatched]

How have you decided they're obese? It's unusual for bird to be externally obese unless something is wrong

 

[SourRoses]

"Grass to eat" is not food (for a chicken).
Food is much more than calories, it's also vitamins and proteins that keep the heart pumping and the organs functioning.
That's why obese people can die from starvation due to fad diets or stranding on an island. Their hearts weaken and vital organs shut down.

When you picked this hen up and declared her obese, what were you basing that on? How heavy she felt? Or what the keel bone felt like?