skinny chickens

[treeclimber233]

I have been checking my chickens for weight so I can start butchering some and I am shocked at how thin they are. They have food/water all the time. The older hens are carrying plenty of weight but the younger ones are skinny. They have 2 feeders and I never see anyone guarding the feeders. My older hens have a very full crop at night when they go to roost but the younger ones never have a full crop. Is there anything I can do to get them to eat more?

 

[kstaven]

How old are the older and younger ones and what breed are they? With this information we can likely help you out and answer your questions. Some breeds are just slow to bulk up.

 

[silkiechicken]

And some breeds never bulk up... You say they are going to bed empty crop though, are you sure they getting access to feeders without the big ones running them off? Even my young birds sleep with food in their crops.

 

[treeclimber233]

Lets see...hmmmm. I have some cochins, easter eggers (both bantams) some turkens (standard), turken/brahama crosses (slow growers from my experience last year) RIR. Then there are my show chickens- Sultans (banty) (not a meat type bird I know). Some of my Sultans have some meat on them but others in the same pen are skeletal. The ages range from 2 years to this springs hatch. I don't see anybody guarding the food dishes. And I throw pellets around to make sure everyone gets enough once a day. My older chickens go to roost every evening at least an hour before sunset so that gives all the others plenty of time to fill up before bed. I don't understand what gives. (Do you think they heard me talking about eating the meatiest ones the other day? LOL) I fed medicated feed to the chicks until I moved them in with the others (at about 3 months) and now they are eating laying pellets. I was mixing the pellets with gamebird food until I started throwing it around the pen then I just fed the layer pellets. Now I have switched back to mixing the pellets and gamebird.

 

[rooster-red]

Is it possible that they might have worms, or some sort of parasite?