I have four RIR hens, two of which are a few pounds thinner than the other two.
The other day I picked up my hens one at a time to put them back in their run and I noticed there was quite a difference in weight between them. The thinner two don't seem to have a protruding breast bone and are acting normal.
There has been no change to their food, layer crumbles and scraps. They all seem to be eating and drinking as far as I have seen.
Could this be a pecking order thing where the others are keeping them away from the food, or maybe worms? Or maybe the heavier ones are just FAT?
I have not seen any worms, how would I know if I don't see any?
They are all 7 mo. old and laying fine, no problems there. And there has been no change in their activity or diet.
Should I be as worried about this as I am? I haven't found any threads that pose these questions. Are they like people, different sizes??
I honestly don't think so...thank you for any words of wisdom.
~Kim
The other day I picked up my hens one at a time to put them back in their run and I noticed there was quite a difference in weight between them. The thinner two don't seem to have a protruding breast bone and are acting normal.
There has been no change to their food, layer crumbles and scraps. They all seem to be eating and drinking as far as I have seen.
Could this be a pecking order thing where the others are keeping them away from the food, or maybe worms? Or maybe the heavier ones are just FAT?
I have not seen any worms, how would I know if I don't see any?
They are all 7 mo. old and laying fine, no problems there. And there has been no change in their activity or diet.
Should I be as worried about this as I am? I haven't found any threads that pose these questions. Are they like people, different sizes??
~Kim