Is it true that......

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I'll let someone better at determining chicken obesity weigh in....I'm just not that judgmental and refuse to body shame your flock.

 

[NatJ]

Why on earth would they suggest the ground? It would be wasted, get wet in the rain, and get trampled in poop.

If the food is going to be limited, then scattering it all over the ground means that all hens have a change to get their share, so the dominant hens cannot gobble it all and leave the others to starve.

If the food is severely limited, there is little worry about the food being wasted, because the chickens will pick up every speck quite quickly.

That kind of feeding program could be appropriate for the hens that produce Cornish Cross chicks. They have the genetics to gain a lot of weight, but they need to be kept slender so they can lay eggs and not die young. It might also work well if someone was trying to raise Cornish Cross past the usual butcher age, because they wanted to breed from them.

For almost every other kind of chicken, in almost all management systems, limiting their food like that is NOT good advice.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Why on earth would they suggest the ground? It would be wasted, get wet in the rain, and get trampled in poop.

YES!!!! WHAT SHE SAID!!

all food on ground gets poop-bound and ends up in the compost pile. Even as they eat they poo, they cannot eat fast enough to not poo in it. I give them mash in the morning and they LOVE it, but even that tray has poo in it when I go get it afterwards.

I sweep the floor in the morning, and again at night. The night-sweep is in order to throw whatever snacks they are getting before bed. Anything they did not eat before bed ends up encased in poo in the morning. (so I limit the amount of snacks to the amount they will eat right away)

Even more important than 'fat' hens is the fighting that happens when there is scarce food. The hens will peck others in order to get all they can get. If there is lots of food the fighting is minimal, if there is scarcity there will be nastiness.

I worry a lot more about hens getting injured than heavy. Also, i am in cold weather, and fat is what keeps you warm. Thin anyone, including chickens have a hard time staying warm and they will get old fast.

Some breeds are made to be meat-and-egg, so they need to have more on their bones, because that is their design.

also.... don't you love your babies just a little chubby ? (just saying, if making them happy is not the goal, this is a lot of work for a couple of eggs in return)

feed them! if one of them is having health issues, deal with her by taking her away from the bowl once in a while and making her forage in the garden instead of the bowl. Lots of work scratching the ground for the occasional worm will exercise her into shape. Treats are the bad food, don't give too much of the food-blocks made with oil or scraps with oil.

I have stopped giving scratch grains: now I soak and sprout all the grains they get. They love them more and because it is so much harder on me to do it, they get less of them from me

I think it is less fattening to have a tiny green plant than a bunch of grains. (but that is opinion, no proof)

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

The only time fat was an issue was my first batch of broilers, I over-fed them and because I wanted to keep them (I told my spouse they could make babies and he could have the babies for the freezer -that would never have happened-) but because I over-fed them they were obese and had heart issues. They could not live past 6 months.

my big lesson was an odd one, don't give them dry powdered baby chick food, mix it with water, they eat slower and less because it is already expanded before it gets into the belly. When they eat dry and then drink they eat too much and it expands in the belly.

At night, keep them on dark heat lamps (like for reptiles), and don't go check on them too much. It wakes them, they eat when they wake up and just grow too fast.

I heard a rule that for broilers, feed 12 hrs a day, and withdraw food the other 12. (except when babies, babies eat all the time imo) I don't know if it is true, but it sounds like a good idea.

 

[iwltfum]

Who ever gave this advice has heard it through a game of telephone!

No reason to not free choice feed with a small flock.

I ration feed with my birds only because I have a big flock (fluctuates between 100 and 150 birds) and I watch feed consumption really closely - I literally hang my feed on a scale every morning. I generally go by 1/4 pound of feed per day per bird and I will adjust it throughout the season based on things like how much forage they are able to get from free ranging, how cold it is during the winter months, how filled out/skinny they look, etc.

I've heard that 1/4 cup = 1/4 pound, but that is NOT accurate in my experience. It depends entirely on the type of feed and the consistency. my feed weighs about 1/3pound per 1cup

so you definitely can't go by volume anyway.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The only thing I agree with as far as the advice OP was given, is that fat birds can have trouble laying (plus other health issues, just like humans carrying excess weight). However most chickens are very good at regulating their feed consumption, so as long as you aren't offering excessive, unhealthy treats, it's likely your birds are somewhere within a normal weight range.

 

[Brown Chick]

YES!!!! WHAT SHE SAID!!

all food on ground gets poop-bound and ends up in the compost pile. Even as they eat they poo, they cannot eat fast enough to not poo in it. I give them mash in the morning and they LOVE it, but even that tray has poo in it when I go get it afterwards.

I sweep the floor in the morning, and again at night. The night-sweep is in order to throw whatever snacks they are getting before bed. Anything they did not eat before bed ends up encased in poo in the morning. (so I limit the amount of snacks to the amount they will eat right away)

Even more important than 'fat' hens is the fighting that happens when there is scarce food. The hens will peck others in order to get all they can get. If there is lots of food the fighting is minimal, if there is scarcity there will be nastiness.

I worry a lot more about hens getting injured than heavy. Also, i am in cold weather, and fat is what keeps you warm. Thin anyone, including chickens have a hard time staying warm and they will get old fast.

Some breeds are made to be meat-and-egg, so they need to have more on their bones, because that is their design.

also.... don't you love your babies just a little chubby ? (just saying, if making them happy is not the goal, this is a lot of work for a couple of eggs in return)

feed them! if one of them is having health issues, deal with her by taking her away from the bowl once in a while and making her forage in the garden instead of the bowl. Lots of work scratching the ground for the occasional worm will exercise her into shape. Treats are the bad food, don't give too much of the food-blocks made with oil or scraps with oil.

I have stopped giving scratch grains: now I soak and sprout all the grains they get. They love them more and because it is so much harder on me to do it, they get less of them from me

I think it is less fattening to have a tiny green plant than a bunch of grains. (but that is opinion, no proof)

I think I will be watching the extras a lot more. I am seeing decreased egg production plus when the chickens see me they are crazy trying to get to me for food. And we still have a soft shell layer that has not gotten better despite my change to nutrena feed at 18% mixed with wild bird pellets. I am not sure how long the feed changes take to show up but I feel like the flock is less than healthy. I do love them chubby but I may be an enabler.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I think I will be watching the extras a lot more. I am seeing decreased egg production plus when the chickens see me they are crazy trying to get to me for food. And we still have a soft shell layer that has not gotten better despite my change to nutrena feed at 18% mixed with wild bird pellets. I am not sure how long the feed changes take to show up but I feel like the flock is less than healthy. I do love them chubby but I may be an enabler.

What is the goal with mixing wild bird pellets in the chicken feed?

I don't think the wild bird pellets have enough protein or calcium for chickens. Can you post a picture of the nutrition part of the label?

 

[Brown Chick]

What is the goal with mixing wild bird pellets in the chicken feed?

I don't think the wild bird pellets have enough protein or calcium for chickens. Can you post a picture of the nutrition part of the label?

I threw the bags away but the nutrena is a layer feed and mixing the game bird (my mistake) layer feed to up the protein. The hens started eating eggs so it was suggested to up their protein. They already have oyster shells everywhere. I sprinkle the shells all over around the feeder. But we also have one hen that lays eggs with only a membrane. And two with prolapse vent this week. And laying was going good until they started eating the eggs. I am hoping the feed issues balance out soon.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I threw the bags away but the nutrena is a layer feed and mixing the game bird (my mistake) layer feed to up the protein. The hens started eating eggs so it was suggested to up their protein. They already have oyster shells everywhere. I sprinkle the shells all over around the feeder. But we also have one hen that lays eggs with only a membrane. And two with prolapse vent this week. And laying was going good until they started eating the eggs. I am hoping the feed issues balance out soon.

I see. Makes much more sense now. It's not "wild bird feed" like what one would put out for blue jays and song birds but game bird feed like for quail or pheasants.