fat ex-bat

Hi, one of the hens I picked up on Sunday is much more "well - fed" than the others. To look at her you wouldn't have picked her out as an ex-bat apart from having a pale comb. She found it really hard to walk the first few days and her legs do look a bit thick. I trimmed her claws yesterday and that has helped her a bit. I had a good look at her and was surprised at her weight, the others are like string. Was she just a lucky one at the front near the food?

Hi nicchick,

Can you tell if she is laying or has laid recently? Have her eggs looked normal to you?
it is odd to have one very fat ex bat as they share the same diet. So with this in mind  might be worth checking there is nothing else wrong with her. Does her abdomen feel squashy? (have a feel underneath between legs and move hands gently forward towards her chest). You mentioned she was unsteady -is she slightly breathless? Look at her beak is it opening and closing frequently?
Have a lot at her dropping as well. Do they look normal. or watery or maybe yellowy almost like scambled egg?
I am wondering that she  may have laid an egg internally.

In the meantime just feed exclusively good quality layers pellets/mash.
Hope this helps and  keep us posted on her symptoms

Hi, my friend who is a vet nurse checked her over and she seems fine. She was however appalled at the state of her legs and feet and said that she is showing signs of muscle atrophy she also clipped her claws a bit shorter and that has helped her walking.  I will keep an eye on her, we only picked them up last Sunday and they have only had pellets with corn for bedtime and a treat of mealworms - the same as our other girls really. Thanks for telling me what to look for, Nic.