My fat girl is still over eating

[Lady Watcher]

Hey, so exactly one month ago my hen was overeating and asked what to do. When I asked people told me that they need a lot of food to grow, but she hasn't really grown. She can't roost at night or she'll fall over. She can't jump. Her race is staying white, while the others are getting red. She just sits and eats all day. She can't fly. She always gets stepped on by the other girls, and she's slow. When she walks, it's her pouch swings from side to side and brings her down. Does anyone know what's wrong or what to do?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hey, so exactly one month ago my hen was overeating and asked what to do. When I asked people told me that they need a lot of food to grow, but she hasn't really grown. She can't roost at night or she'll fall over. She can't jump. Her race is staying white, while the others are getting red. She just sits and eats all day. She can't fly. She always gets stepped on by the other girls, and she's slow. When she walks, it's her pouch swings from side to side and brings her down. Does anyone know what's wrong or what to do?

What you are describing sounds like a meat type bird.

They often never venture far from the feed trough and water fountain, and forget about a bird of this type roosting.... ever.

 

[Isaac 0]

Can you take picture of her?As the other poster said it sounds like she is a meat bird.

 

[Lady Watcher]

She's a dominique. I'll try to get a picture as soon as possible.

 

[Lady Watcher]

 

[Isaac 0]

How does her crop feel?Is her crop hanging down very far?Also that looks like a barred rock not a dominque.

 

[Lady Watcher]

How does her crop feel?Is her crop hanging down very far?Also that looks like a barred rock not a dominque.

I can assure you that she is dominique, but yes. Her crop is hanging down real low.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This is not a bird that is overeating - there are some underlying issues at play that are leading to the extreme distention shown in this photo. When you palpate the area of distention, what do you feed -- is it hard, soft, squishy, liquid or solid feeling, do you hear any noise, does the bird show discomfort, etc?
Can you isolate the bird in a separate area where you can control the amount of feed and water available so that you can carefully monitor intake and output? Is she passing waste and, if so, what form is it in? What feed is she on?

 

[Lady Watcher]

This is not a bird that is overeating - there are some underlying issues at play that are leading to the extreme distention shown in this photo.  When you palpate the area of distention, what do you feed -- is it hard, soft, squishy, liquid or solid feeling, do you hear any noise, does the bird show discomfort, etc? 

​Can you isolate the bird in a separate area where you can control the amount of feed and water available so that you can carefully monitor intake and output?  Is she passing waste and, if so, what form is it in?   What feed is she on? 

She's eating some Texas natural starter feed. It's small scratch. The food shouldn't be the problem since I fed all of my other 14 chickens it, but I will isolate her and see what the problem is. She doesn't look like she hates it, but she can't do half the things her siblings can. It's like a huge ball on her chest, but hanging and she had a deeper voice than the others, but now she doesn't.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

She's eating some Texas natural starter feed. It's small scratch. The food shouldn't be the problem since I fed all of my other 14 chickens it, but I will isolate her and see what the problem is. She doesn't look like she hates it, but she can't do half the things her siblings can. It's like a huge ball on her chest, but hanging and she had a deeper voice than the others, but now she doesn't.

It is entirely possible to have one bird out of a group have a problem with a given food item - it can be a matter of her internal system being somehow less able to digest and use the feed as her flock mates do. When you say it is "small scratch" - is it whole grains or is it processed feed that is in a crumble or pellet form? Please palpate the area and report back as this may have absolutely nothing to do with feed or digestion - the swelling seen in the photo can have many different causes and the correct course of treatment depends on identifying just what is going on with this bird.