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Worried the girls are too thin

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I am a bit worried that my girls are losing weight and getting skinny. They eat layers pellets and get some cabbage leaves/ mixed corn/ sweetcorn type treats most days in the afternoons. At the moment as I am at home, they are free ranging a lot but I keep them in for the first hour so they get their pellets first thing. The last couple of days they have had porrige with poulltry spice and natural yoghurt as well. They just look really scrawny and you can really feel their breastbones when they are handled. They are louse free and have been wormed recently any suggestions? I have had them for nearly a year, but still feel like there is so much that I don't know about chookies.

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If they are eating well and drinking ok, then i would say they should be ok, I have had mine a few years now, but wouldnt have survived without this forum to ask questions on.

 

I think we are all still learning so i wouldnt worry, but i am sure someone more knowledgeable will be along to help out

 

xxxx

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They sound normal to me - and overweight hens won't lay eggs :)

 

Layers quite often feel bony when you pick them up - they aren't meant to put much 'meat' on. Before they start laying they are a little plumper and then that weight drops as soon as they start laying. Perhaps it is just that you are comparing them to what they used to be before laying?

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I must admit I have paranoia over this. One vet examined Trinny who was quite bony and said it was OK as long as she had been like that from the start, her partner insisted she was underweight. :? The first vet does have years of examining chickens though.

 

Megan is now a fat ball now only 1 chicken out of 2 bullies her and has put on lots of weight, which reassures me a bit. The other 2 have a distinct breastbone.

Any sort of parasite, e.g. worms, (mites?) could potentially cause weight loss whilst the chicken is eating well, but it could just be normal for your chickens, especially if they've not lost weight.

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