Obese chicken

[ljvahey]

We have a 12 week old leghorn (I think) that has become so obese she can't walk anymore. We do not feed her any different than the other 11 chickens. Spoke with a poultry specialist today who said that she probably is a meat bird and she outgrew her frame and it was time for a chicken dinner.

Has anyone ever heard of this and if so, do you think it would be possible to put her on a diet of some kind? We bought the chickens for eggs and they have somehow ended up more like pets!

 

[Pyxis]

Yes, it sounds a lot like you ended up with a meat bird and not a leghorn. Do you have pictures you can post of her so we can be sure? Unfortunately meat birds grow so big so quickly that this isn't uncommon. They can even end up having heart attacks, or their legs can end up breaking under their own weight.

 

[ljvahey]

I'm hoping this picture loaded correctly. Is there anything that can be done to save our big girl from the dinner table?

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC. Your poultry specialist and Pyxis are correct, she's a cornish x meat bird and her frame cannot support her weight. They are normally processed at six weeks old. You would be ending her suffering by processing her.

 

[junebuggena]

He's a cornish cross. They are not bred for longevity. They are bred to grow big and fast. There isn't really anything that can be done for him other than slaughter.

 

[Lilbopeepin]

I'm hoping this picture loaded correctly. Is there anything that can be done to save our big girl from the dinner table?

I think we have the Same problem!!! Here is our 12 week old supposedly leghorn

 

[fluffycrow]

I think we have the Same problem!!! Here is our 12 week old supposedly leghorn

There are no pictures attached I'm afraid. You'd get more attention and personalized responses if you start your own thread