Ribh's D'Coopage

[Shadrach]

Yep. Me too. Michelle aka @micstrachan, when you have a moment, what did you feed your girls that they got fat? I have a chook I need to get some weight on & so far I'm not doing so well in this department.

Putting weight on and putting on fat are rather different.
It used to worry me when I did thos keel bone tests and compared the weight of the hens here to similar, mostly in the USA. Having felt a few local hens now and compared weights with keepers in other countries I came to the conclusion that the chicken here are a good wieght and dare I write, the chickens in the USA are in general overweight judging from what I've read on BYC.

Chickens get fat because they get fed too much of the wrong stuff.
Chickens put on weight if they are fed the right stuff and get the excercise necessary to develope muscle. Much like people.

 

[Shadrach]

This is how I set up my roosts...I didn't want to have them too high! When we had our Banty's I had the roost up where the ceiling starts to slope, but I knew these girls would be too heavy for that and I didn't want anyone to get hurt!
View attachment 2371739

They look a good height to me. Easy hop up and down, even for a pensioner.

 

[drstratton]

They look a good height to me. Easy hop up and down, even for a pensioner.

That's what I was going for!

 

[Ribh]

I think I was a strong contributor to this also...

I think most of us were guilty...

 

[Ribh]

Putting weight on and putting on fat are rather different.
It used to worry me when I did thos keel bone tests and compared the weight of the hens here to similar, mostly in the USA. Having felt a few local hens now and compared weights with keepers in other countries I came to the conclusion that the chicken here are a good wieght and dare I write, the chickens in the USA are in general overweight judging from what I've read on BYC.

Chickens get fat because they get fed too much of the wrong stuff.
Chickens put on weight if they are fed the right stuff and get the excercise necessary to develope muscle. Much like people.

I understand, Shad, but being thin & being emaciated are 2 different things. Most of my girls are on what I would call the thin side ~ meaning their keel bone is quite prominent but they have weight to them when I pick them up. I don't have scales so can't actually weigh her but she weighs almost nothing ~ & she should; she has a bigger frame.

 

[Ribh]

This is how I set up my roosts...I didn't want to have them too high! When we had our Banty's I had the roost up where the ceiling starts to slope, but I knew these girls would be too heavy for that and I didn't want anyone to get hurt!
View attachment 2371739

If we ever get this house finished I may try & talk the man into changing the roosts around. This would work & stop the struggle to fit everyone on the top roost.

 

[drstratton]

If we ever get this house finished I may try & talk the man into changing the roosts around. This would work & stop the struggle to fit everyone on the top roost.

This has worked out so well...I had many different thoughts on how to set this up...I wanted a lot of room and low height! I can remove the front and back boards just by pulling the bolt! It makes it nice for cleaning the coop out or if we need to get in there for any reason...during the day that is...at night there are too many chickens on the front roost...that's where the lead rooster sits and I'm assuming the Royal hens...

 

[Ribh]

Very well stated Jehane!!! I agree with you 100%!

Well, there's a first. I state opinions like this & I usually get shot down in flames. By comparison to some periods of history the 21st century is idyllic! Not perfect by any means but a lot better than almost any other time in history that I can think of off hand.

 

[drstratton]

Well, there's a first. I state opinions like this & I usually get shot down in flames. By comparison to some periods of history the 21st century is idyllic! Not perfect by any means but a lot better than almost any other time in history that I can think of off hand.

Some don't like it because it doesn't fit the agenda! If anyone applies a true thought process instead of what they are told fits the narrative, they would see this also!

 

[Shadrach]

I understand, Shad, but being thin & being emaciated are 2 different things. Most of my girls are on what I would call the thin side ~ meaning their keel bone is quite prominent but they have weight to them when I pick them up. I don't have scales so can't actually weigh her but she weighs almost nothing ~ & she should; she has a bigger frame.

What does she like Ribh? Meat? Fish? I know you don't.
What's her poop like? Can you post some pictures of her and her poop. Need to see under the feathers if possible.
Weight loss here is usually due to worms if there is no other obvious illness. You know this anyway, but is it possible that she has cecal worms that your usual wormers aren't treating?