Young Rooster Too Heavy for His Own Legs

[Cyprus]

I agree the buff hen is a Catalan. The other hen looks like an EE of sorts.

Valencia, to me, looks a lot like a meat bird cross. Not sure what all is in him except maybe some Plymouth Rock. I think he has meat bird genes that are not being managed well. I would lay off the the treats.

 

[Susie Seagrave]

This was Rosehip. She was a Catalan stray I rescued. View attachment 1497200 View attachment 1497201

Hi Shadrach,
Thanks for posting your photos of Rosehip, your Catalan - she's gorgeous!
Rosehip looks a more rusty colour than my Solskjaer, who is similar to the colour of my Labrador dog - almost Buff Orpington colour. I thought she might be a Buff Catalana but looking at your photo of Rosehip from the front, Solskjaer has a 'rounder', heavier body. I suspect she's a meat bird, although she won't be eaten on my watch! When I bought her at 5 weeks old, they didn't tell me any information because they don't really care, alas. Any other suggestions gratefully received!

 

[Susie Seagrave]

I agree the buff hen is a Catalan. The other hen looks like an EE of sorts.

Valencia, to me, looks a lot like a meat bird cross. Not sure what all is in him except maybe some Plymouth Rock. I think he has meat bird genes that are not being managed well. I would lay off the the treats.

Hey Cyprus,
This is Greece calling! Please excuse my inexperience but I have 2 questions. First, what does EE stand for in relation to Little Pea's breed?
Second, regarding Valencia. I've never kept a cockerel before and clearly have much to learn! I have access to a very limited choice of food and no real expertise on the small Greek island where I live. How can I manage his problems? Can you give me some clear advice as to how to proceed?

Also, what do mean by 'lay off the treats?' They only get fresh veg scraps every few days and in a small quantity.

I'm not sure the youngsters pellets are available anymore but I'll check. There's never been any problem with 3-year old Little Pea but what should I be feeding Solskjaer the hen and Valencia? There is no grit or shell available to buy but I bake and crush the empty egg shells and there's plenty of natural grit available on the ground.

Advice needed, bearing in mind my limited available resources!

 

[Cyprus]

Hey Cyprus,
This is Greece calling! Please excuse my inexperience but I have 2 questions. First, what does EE stand for in relation to Little Pea's breed?
Second, regarding Valencia. I've never kept a cockerel before and clearly have much to learn! I have access to a very limited choice of food and no real expertise on the small Greek island where I live. How can I manage his problems? Can you give me some clear advice as to how to proceed?

Also, what do mean by 'lay off the treats?' They only get fresh veg scraps every few days and in a small quantity.

I'm not sure the youngsters pellets are available anymore but I'll check. There's never been any problem with 3-year old Little Pea but what should I be feeding Solskjaer the hen and Valencia? There is no grit or shell available to buy but I bake and crush the empty egg shells and there's plenty of natural grit available on the ground.

Advice needed, bearing in mind my limited available resources!

EE is an abbreviation for Easter Egger. Bird's of this hybrid variety typically have Ameraucana or Araucana Gene's in them. They are bred for green and blue eggs.
By lay off the treats I mean do not feed corn, bird seed, sunflower seed or other seeds and scratch.

All of your birds can be fed layer feed or all flock. Baking the eggshells and crushing them to provide free choice is a good source of calcium.

I would manage Valencia's weight but rationing his feed and only feeding him two cups in the morning and two cups at night. I would also allow him plenty of room to walk or make him walk every day for exercise.

-Cyprus

 

[Shadrach]

I'm almost certain the buff coloured hen is a Catalan. Rosehip in the picture was getting old and there is a variation in the colour tones in the Catalan breed. Your hen i rounder because she's younger and a bit tubby

 

[PouleChick]

I've also just finished my annual Masterchef Australia TV binge. I never miss it! How funny that it features two English-born Aussie judges and the one who's Aussie-born comes from Greek parentage! How do you like living in France?

We love Aussie Masterchef too! France is great - great climate, lovely countryside, fabulous food and of course wonderful wine! I have lived a lot of my adult life here now and can't see myself leaving really!

I'd say knocking the corn on the head would be a great first start - it is like junk food for chickens - just puts weight on with little nutrition. There are lots of homemade feed recipes on the net if you can get hold of the grains easier - I've started doing that for my lot. Much cheaper as well than pellets so may be a good option for you with your limited resources. Having a read about making feed will help you as well understand why certain things are better than others and about the corn. I understand in winter if it is very cold some corn is a good thing as it helps them stay warm but not sure that is a problem for you. I give mine veggie scraps every day - I dont' consider plant matter a treat - it is part of what they would naturally eat!

 

[Susie Seagrave]

I'm almost certain the buff coloured hen is a Catalan. Rosehip in the picture was getting old and there is a variation in the colour tones in the Catalan breed. Your hen i rounder because she's younger and a bit tubby

Many thanks, Shadrach. Cyprus agrees with you, so Catalan she is! She's a sweet bird but perhaps needs a diet and more exercise!

 

[Susie Seagrave]

We love Aussie Masterchef too! France is great - great climate, lovely countryside, fabulous food and of course wonderful wine! I have lived a lot of my adult life here now and can't see myself leaving really!

I'd say knocking the corn on the head would be a great first start - it is like junk food for chickens - just puts weight on with little nutrition. There are lots of homemade feed recipes on the net if you can get hold of the grains easier - I've started doing that for my lot. Much cheaper as well than pellets so may be a good option for you with your limited resources. Having a read about making feed will help you as well understand why certain things are better than others and about the corn. I understand in winter if it is very cold some corn is a good thing as it helps them stay warm but not sure that is a problem for you. I give mine veggie scraps every day - I dont' consider plant matter a treat - it is part of what they would naturally eat!

Thanks, PouleChick. I will do some research about feed recipes and see what I can come up with. It doesn't usually get very cold in winter here - it almost never freezes, although we had three days when there was snow last winter!

Glad you enjoy French life! Some friends of mine are looking to move over in the next year or two, so I'll pass that on!

 

[Susie Seagrave]

EE is an abbreviation for Easter Egger. Bird's of this hybrid variety typically have Ameraucana or Araucana Gene's in them. They are bred for green and blue eggs.
By lay off the treats I mean do not feed corn, bird seed, sunflower seed or other seeds and scratch.

All of your birds can be fed layer feed or all flock. Baking the eggshells and crushing them to provide free choice is a good source of calcium.

I would manage Valencia's weight but rationing his feed and only feeding him two cups in the morning and two cups at night. I would also allow him plenty of room to walk or make him walk every day for exercise.

-Cyprus

Many thanks for your information. Much appreciated.

I have been giving them a mix of starters/youngsters pellets, crushed corn and 'grain' (not sure exactly what grain, but the feed store mixes it all in together). I'll buy some layer feed separately - by this, do you mean the layers pellets or wet mash? Can I give them this food from now on (18 weeks old now)? Please excuse my ignorance but I haven't had these problems before and this is the first time I've had 'porky' birds!

They have a 'Dine-a-chook' feeder which allows them to eat when they want. It's hard to feed Valencia separately. Any ideas?

 

[PouleChick]

I have been giving them a mix of starters/youngsters pellets, crushed corn and 'grain' (not sure exactly what grain, but the feed store mixes it all in together). I'll buy some layer feed separately - by this, do you mean the layers pellets or wet mash? Can I give them this food from now on (18 weeks old now)?

You can't feed the layer food to a rooster as there is too much calcium and it can make them unwell. You need an All Flock option without the calcium and give the shells on the side.

They have a 'Dine-a-chook' feeder which allows them to eat when they want. It's hard to feed Valencia separately. Any ideas?

In terms of the feeder if I was putting mine on a diet I'd just feed them morning nad evening to see how they get on with the weight loss. I think if you did that plus ditch the corn they'll loose pretty quick!