need help with rescue hen

[LizStreithorst]

I was driving to town about 6 weeks ago when I saw a hen in the middle of the highway. She must have been on her way to the processing plant when she managed to escape. Cars slowed down for her but I pulled over, shooed her off the high way and with the help of an old man walking down the sidewalk, managed to catch her. The poor guy kept saying, "Don't let her peck me!" over and over again.

She was a little scratched up but was not seriously injured. I put her on the floor of the car where she stayed until I got her home. My laying hens were mean to her, and the roosters never left her alone. she was unhappy, so I brought her inside. She stays in my fish room which has a concrete floor. I laid down lots of newspaper to make it easy to clean up after her.

The poor thing weighed next to nothing. I wormed her because her poop was terrible and I saw a round worm in a poop once. I also treated her for mites because she was always picking at her skin.
I've been feeding her laying pellets free choice.

I picked her up yesterday to show her to the neighborhood kids and that hen weighed a ton. I took the scale to the fish room this morning and the dang hen weighs 10 lbs! I'm afraid that she will get so fat that she will eventually have a hard time getting around. I need to limit her feed or feet her something with fewer calories but I don't know what or how much to feed daily. 10 lbs is fine, but I don't want her to get any fatter. Does anyone here have any suggestions for me?

 

[mixedUPturk]

Im sorry dear it sounds like your correct she was on her way to a proccessing plant and she may be a cornish cross raised and bred exactly for meat and those birds are not ment to be kept long term. A picture would help us know for sure but those types are ment to grow up in a very short time and be proccessed quickly. They can survive a little while but im not surprised she didnt do well with your layers.

 

[LizStreithorst]

I took this pic a couple of weeks ago. I hate to have to eat her, but if she's going to get sick and die she would be a good chicken to learn how on. I've got all the stuff except for the big pot to dip her in to loosen the feathers because I had planned on slaughtering excess roosters. But I have a tender heart and have not yet built up the nerve to actually do it.

 

[DobieLover]

She is a cornish cross, a meat bird.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Hey, if you don't want to do it... some people have had success rationing their feed.

 

[LizStreithorst]

So...back to my original question...How much should I feed her daily? Or is this really something I'll be disappointed I tried when it doesn't work and she gets sick.

 

[sylviethecochin]

So...back to my original question...How much should I feed her daily? Or is this really something I'll be disappointed I tried when it doesn't work and she gets sick.

I haven't ever tried this before; people who have say that they've had best success just free-ranging the hens and providing minimal feed. It keeps the chickens active so that their organs are healthier.

@duluthralphie has experience, if he(?) wants to help (he wanted breeding stock, so he raised some CX hens.)

You'll have to cut her off slowly. She won't like eating less any more than you would. Ration for a laying hen is 1/3 of a pound of feed per day. I'd work down to that and just decrease slowly until she stops gaining weight. And not layer pellets; she's not laying eggs so the excess calcium could hurt her.

 

[mixedUPturk]

I took this pic a couple of weeks ago. I hate to have to eat her, but if she's going to get sick and die she would be a good chicken to learn how on. I've got all the stuff except for the big pot to dip her in to loosen the feathers because I had planned on slaughtering excess roosters. But I have a tender heart and have not yet built up the nerve to actually do it.View attachment 1689441

Good picture yes ma'am thats what i had feared. Sylvie is right there are some people who have kept them around but your right also if u want to learn that would be a good girl for teaching. Im glad she tagged Ralphie, he has a very interesting meat bird flock and he did succeed in raising that type all the way to breeding where they laid and he was able to use the line. She will still have a much shorter lifespan than a herritage bird would because again Sylvi is right its their organs, becoming so overstressed by the weight. Your goals and the steps you take are what will matter most in her case.

 

[LizStreithorst]

I read one of Ralphie's posts about his Toads. It also got into CX's and their genetic problems with their legs and organs. Now I understand. If it's bred to be big and mature fast shorter life span is the trade off.

I will ask my neighbor who hunts deer and slaughters them to "hold my hand" and guide me through the process. Many thanks to those who helped me with this.

 

[mixedUPturk]

I read one of Ralphie's posts about his Toads. It also got into CX's and their genetic problems with their legs and organs. Now I understand. If it's bred to be big and mature fast shorter life span is the trade off.

I will ask my neighbor who hunts deer and slaughters them to "hold my hand" and guide me through the process. Many thanks to those who helped me with this.

Very welcome im glad you made this call. The first couple of time i proccessed my own birds i would get half way thru and start crying wantn to put them back together again you might save yourself that angst by practicing on this gal that you rescued from sure death roadside plus youll be honing a super valuable skill