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chooklady

Do you weigh your chickens?

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Does anyone weigh their chickens and are there any guidelines on how much different chickens should weigh.

 

Our Bluebelle is 5lb 4oz, she is massive, she doesn't stop eating all day. The Gingernut is 2lb 11oz a skinny little thing, we need to build her up a bit and the other one needs to go on a diet, she is just very greedy. The others apart from the new ones who I thought would proabaly freak out if we tried to weigh them are around the 4lb mark give or take a few ounces.

 

Would be interested to hear what others peoples choks weigh.

Many thanks

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That made me smile, it was quite funny getting them to stand on the scales! Then we couldn't read what it said because the chicken was shading the display and we were having to use a torch. It was my daughter's idea because Blossom is big she wanted to know how heavy she was.

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Yes I do, only because of past experiance with them losing too much during the moult, and being unwell etc etc. Their weight 2kg (approx 4lb 7oz) apparentley they should never lose more than 10% of their body weight. Confession - I use baby scales from work (covered in a bin bag and throughly disinfected, I should add) :shh:

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Just thought I'd mention that my GNR ISA Warren (similar to the Gingernut Ranger) is the smallest and oldest of my girls she is 3 yo and the other girls are just babies. So she may never get as big as the other hybrids.

 

When I bought my (Bluebelle) Bluebelle the breeder told me she was going to be the biggest of the 3 new girls so its obviously something in their genes that makes them grow more.

 

I haven't weighed them but think I will as its a good tip about knowing what they weigh when in top condition so you know how much weight they have lost if they are unwell. All those feathers hide a lot don't they :oops:

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If you can't get your chooks to stand on the scales, do what I do when weighing Violet (our female cat who is on the chunky side). Stand on scales, weigh yourself. Then hold chook, stand on scales and weigh yourself again. The difference is what the chook weighs. :)

 

This is also a great way to weigh small fidgety children- rather than in a mesh shopping bag as my dad did to my son lol

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I have never weighed mine. It does seem like a good idea but for me, too much hassle. I really don't want to be trying to arrange chickens on my kitchen scales on a regular basis. I tend to go for the pick them up and estimate approach :? Sounds a bit mad, but I think if you regularly handle them you get used to the size and weight of them. I think I would notice if one of them was getting too fat / thin.

 

My Gingernut is the smallest, and I think my Amber Star has finally stopped growing and is now bigger than my Pepperpot.

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I only weighed my Dorkings as they looked huge and guess what, they were. 12lb each. They are lighter now that they have started laying regular, now around 9lbs.

 

Wow! 12lb that is big! :clap: . Have you any photos, with anything next to them that shows how big they were?

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i need to get some scales! Just got 2 new girls, they are about the same size but one is 3 times the weight of the other. As for the 2 girls (ahem) i already have (ok so one maybe a boy we are still waiting....) they wont let me catch them except at night when i can sneak up on them lol.

Would be interesting to know tho!

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I had to do it :lol: i borrowed my sisters bathroom scales, put them into a clear plastic bag and weighed myself....then i weighed the new girls. Unfortunatly the scales only do to the nearest half pound :? So Bunny weighs a sad 2lb and Smeegal weighs in at 4lb! but thats kind of a rough weigh in. Havent weighed the others yet lol

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