Jumbo Pekin Drake

[pdholbrook]

So my husband and I have inherited a Jumbo Pekin we believe is male and he is huge. He was dumped at a local pond here and now lives in our backyard. We weren't sure what kind he was when we got him, but now that we know and we want to make sure we give him a quality life.

We think he is about 3 months old, there are still pin feathers in there. He does not have the curl yet, but he showed interest in a female we have and he is a quiet dude.

I read that extra calcium is a good idea to strengthen their legs, but I would love any additional suggestions. We had a meat bird chicken once that we kept as a laying hen. She laid all double and triple yolk eggs, it was wild. She lived to about 8 months, I believe, before her breathing was so labored we had her put down. With Chaffie (our new guy) he cools off by spending a lot of time in our little pond, which is great, but what other suggestions does everyone have?

TIA!!

And here he is:

 

[Poultry parent]

I don't know about extra calcium, but I know that additional niacin is pretty important for Pekins.

Pekins, unlike broiler chickens, can live long lives.

 

[lomine]

Extra calcium is bad for the kidneys of male poultry (roosters, drakes). It's also not good for young/growing birds. That's why they shouldn't eat layer feed. Really only actively laying hens should get layer feed because they are the only ones that need extra calcium in their diet.

I agree extra niacin is a good idea. If you want to make sure he doesn't get too big too fast you can try cutting back on his protein intake.