Very Fat Hen?

[pennydog]

We just butchered a hen that was an obsessed feather picker and was I shocked at how fat she was. We butchered many roosters from this year class in the summer and fall and they had some fat where you would expect.

This hen was coated in fat, everywhere. She had blobs of fat between her breast and tail, a layer under her skin, even her heart and gizzard were surrounded in fat. She was about 8 months old if that makes any difference. As another note, her liver was an unusual orange/tan color.

The flock has moved from free ranging full time to the barn for winter, though their feed has not changed. They're getting roasted soybeans and whole grains in the proper ratio for protein, plus they get all our table scraps... maybe the problem.

Is this a problem and if so, how would I change it?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Fatty liver disease. It can occur in a random hen but if in your flock then you should rethink your feed. It starts with liver then excessive fat in abdominal cavity. By the time it's layering under the skin the liver is pretty much shot. It causes hemoraging in liver and your birds will look healthy but suddenly die from excess summer heat or the exertion of laying an egg.