[chickadizzle]

hey just wondered if any one had any tips as my now chief girl philip is looking particually scrawny atm im not sure why this would be she is a greedy piggy and now the top girl i wasnt sure if it is because it is getting colder :s they always have food and she eats alot so not realy sure also she is still laying any suggestion the others are nice and chunky

[bantam novice]

Hello Chickadizzle,

She could be going through a moult.  Are there lots of feathers around?

Many hens slow down or stop laying altogether this time of year and start again when the days start to get lighter and longer.

You could try taking her temperature.  You do this by feeling under the wing of one of your other girls and then under hers to see if she feels hotter.

Has her comb changed colour?

[chickadizzle]

she seems perfectly healthy part from the skinnness her comb is still big and bright red as per she is still laying every day and they are not her feathers about she is still very smooth and has her feathers not sure if she has just lost wieght

[joyfull]

what breed is she and does she free range?

[chickadizzle]

yeah she is free range she has loads of room she is a white star (hybrid)

[orchardlady]

I have several White Stars and have had them in the past to. They are about 2 years old now and it seems that around this age they start to look scrawny. Perhaps it's just their way. Considering ho dainty they are and the size of their eggs I don't blame them.

[chickadizzle]

ok thank you very much she seems her normal self and she is now top girl too so she cant be starving

[joyfull]

yes it sounds like she is normal - some hybrids have been developed just to lay eggs and not for meat so all their energies and feed are directed towards that. Plus being a free ranger they don't tend to be as big as girls in a run.

[chickadizzle]

ok thank you you have been very helpfull