Older brahmas getting FAT?

[gritsar]

My LF brahma flock is now 2 1/2 years old (31 months old). They are just finishing up their 2nd adult molt, 3rd if you count the mini-molt at 9 months.

They have emerged from this latest molt as butterballs. It's not just that their feathers are fluffier and making them look fatter, they are fatter.

They free range all day, though everything has about died off with winter coming on. They have feed in their coop 24/7, but rarely visit it during the day. They get about 2 cups of chops (cracked corn) each evening before roost time, split between 13 birds. Once or twice a week they get maybe 4 slices of bread OR a cup of cat food OR yogurt OR cheese, etc. Honestly, very little in the way of scraps. About twice a month I scramble up some eggs for everybody.

I'm wondering if the brahmas just have a tendency to put on weight as they get older? I know they kept growing until they were nearly two years old.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
The reason your Brahmas are getting fat is the Carb content of you feed, I feed a 20-22 % ration and they will put on more muscle and less fat. Don

 

[Tuffoldhen]

My brahmas were heavier /plumb as they got older.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Not sure but I understood the question to be fat, Usually when a chicken gets really fat it is because there is too much carb in the ration and not enough protein. Don

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
Not sure but I understood the question to be fat, Usually when a chicken gets really fat it is because there is too much carb in the ration and not enough protein. Don

Mine had and have always had the same feed. Mine get a good layer feed mixed with flock raiser. Added calf manna or pro manna, sometimes gamebird feed.

I rarely do scraps or treats of any kind. I just found my brahmas to stay heavier/plump as they got older.

 

[gritsar]

I don't have a bag handy right now to read the tag, but their feed is 16% protein layer pellets. I haven't been able to locate a higher protein layer feed around here (our choices of feed stores are severely limited). I tried to give them gamebird feed while they were molting, but it's only available here in crumbles. I mixed it in with their layer pellets and I noticed they were eating around the crumbles to get to their pellets, so I gave up. They've been eating pellets since they were 19 weeks old and seem to prefer them.

They are not eating the feed at all during the day, except very early in the morning before I let them out, a bite or two when a hen goes into the coop to lay and a few bites again before they get on the roost at night. Roughly 80% of their diet is what they find free ranging.