Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: CattinJ on October 01, 2009, 22:28

Title: average chicken weight
Post by: CattinJ on October 01, 2009, 22:28
Hi,
As a newbie, Im not sure my chickens are their correct weight.
How much should an average layer weigh?
We have ex bats - so hybrid rhode island reds Im assuming.

Cat
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 01, 2009, 22:36
Hi Cattinj, here is the production performance data for the ISA brown.  Most of the hybrids are similar weights. ie. about 2kgs.

http://www.isapoultry.com/template.php?sectionId=609

If you click on 'products, you can see all the other hybrids that ISA/Hendrix breed!
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: Casey76 on October 02, 2009, 06:55
Wow that is really useful information Grannie :)

It's such a shame that they consider them "done" at 80 weeks ... that's hardly any time at all!
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 02, 2009, 08:47
I know Casey, it is a shame, but until recently the 'spent' by age was 72 weeks, but the more modern hybrids can now lay well for another 8 weeks!!! wow!

also bear in mind that info is for the commercial people, so much of it won't matter to us.

Interesting they say that some of the hybrids only eat 111gms of feed a day.  Try telling that to our girls!!!! lol

People are always going on about this hybrid and that, but if you look through that website properly, you will see that Hendrix Genetics have virtually taken over the hybrid world!
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: CattinJ on October 02, 2009, 09:28
Thanks - really useful...now, how to get them to stay on the scales???!!!!! 
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: grumpydad on October 02, 2009, 12:34
place them in a pillowcase and use fishing scales, they stay quiet in the dark.

martyn
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: Beano on October 02, 2009, 14:23
Weigh yourself. Then weigh yourself holding the chicken.
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: grumpydad on October 02, 2009, 14:38
as long as you are honest, and dont try blaming it on the poor chicken ...lol
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 02, 2009, 21:44
Weigh yourself. Then weigh yourself holding the chicken.


We used to do that when weighing our turkeys, but now we have proper scales and either like Grumpydad said with a pillowcase or if they stayed quite, I used to put them in a bucket!!!   :D
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: CattinJ on October 03, 2009, 18:25
brilliant ideas - thanks all you experts!
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: Timbo47 on October 03, 2009, 19:42
Talking about Hybrid Hens, as my Ex-Batts are.  I've had them since Mid-June and on most days I've had Three Eggs per day from my Three Hens. One Each.
Its terrible to think that Battery Hens are considered "Spent" at 17 months old, as is the case with those that are rescued Hens at adoption.
Mine have been laying much better than I expected. Though the eggs are a bonus to be honest, as I got them as Pets not egg machines.
Title: Re: average chicken weight
Post by: chuckmum on October 03, 2009, 20:05
I suppose I'm sentimental but 'products' seems hard as a description for a living animal on the performance data for the ISA  :(, but I know commercially that is what they are, our girls are lucky!