The chickens I purchased from a breeder appear to be to fat. I noticed that the chickens had un-eaten bread in the area where they were kept. Also I observed a rear of a pick-up truck full of bread, that I'm assuming that had to be the main diet she fed the chickens. I need to know how to slim these chickens down, because they are as fat has (double hockey stick word). I only have the three rhode island red hens that I purchased from her, and do not plan on obtaining others. My question is how to get these chickens to lose weight without harming them, and without a treadmill. What should I feed them and how much? My chickens are kept in a 4x8 foot cage, with a wire floor, in closed with plywood and tin sheeting. They need to be kept like this do to hawks, racoons and ect, they will not be free ranging.
Welcome To BYC and Happy Holidays! Also check out the BYC Learning Center for articles on raising chicks. If you are not sure how old they are, and they seem fat, you might want to feed them Grower until you get the first egg (especially if they may be younger than you think). Grower usually has a lower protein % than Layer, and it doesn't have the extra calcium. One other question, you are sure she had Rhode Island Reds and not some sort of Red meat bird crosses like Red Rangers etc?
