The Poultry Keeper

shire horse girl · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 519 Location: lincoln

sorry am sure this has been asked before. is it possible to overfeed hens? I think not but OH is convinced otherwise. I guess this is because his black rock is noticeable smaller than my Blue Belle

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1406 Location: Manchester

yes it is possible, and can cause all the problems that obesity causes in other animals - if they are fed a pelleted diet only then you can't really overfeed (unless they're meat bird hybrids) but if they're fed scraps and seeds, especially things that may be high in fat like sunflower seeds etc. it is certainly possible.

I had a problem with the lead hen of my first flock, she had a lot of fat on her.

mojo · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:

feed pellets and treats twice a week and you will be ok and so will they

Woodburner · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject:

Many people find that their chickens will overeat maize (corn as the Americans call it) which is fattening, but this is contrary to my own experience. They actually leave it til last. Maybe they would overeat if they were more confined. Certainly the Cobbs did overeat when they were small and confined for their own safety, since they have been almost free ranging, even they self regulate, as the rest of them always have. So it is possible, especially with highly bred meat birds, but is avoidable.

Phill · Joined: 16 Mar 2008 Posts: 154 Location: Essex

I speak from experience when I say you can over feed a chicken and with not such a happy ending either.

My first hybrid bantam was put to sleep because she got overweight, she collapsed one day and never recovered, the vet said she was very over weight though I found it difficult to see I could only take the vets word. I tried her on a course of pain killers and gave her week but the only way she could walk was if I held. It must have been agony for her not to be able to get up and be normal I couldn't bare to see her that way.

Its also very easiy to over feed a hen my hybrids only ever got half a rabit sized bowl of corn a day and not much else and even with regular exercise managed to get obese.

I watch my polands diet very closely they get fed on nothing but pellets and have constent access to grass and fresh water. Every now and then I spoil them with table scraps and millet but they never have any corn its very fattening.

shire horse girl · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 519 Location: lincoln

Thanks for that ... a sobering tale i will have to be more careful with the girls esp as all 3 cats and 1 horse and 1 pony are very well fed i do tend to over cater!!!