[JOP]

Got an an ex bats that I got in sept 2009- laid up untill Aug 10 and she has never laid again.  Now I just wonder if she is too fat.  Can anyone tell me how much she should weight

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

How heavy is your hen?

Not being a poultry keeper, I don't know about weight - but ex battery hens are often near the end of their laying productivity when you get them, so it may be that that is the issue. 

Wait for others to confirm one way or the other, though. 

[joyfull]

she will have stopped laying for winter. Now the days are getting longer (and hopefully warmer) she may come back into lay soon but don't worry if she doesn't as they are supposed to be in retirement with any eggs as a bonus 

[bantam novice]

Hello Jop, welcome to the wacky world of henaholics!  

This is a lovely friendly forum and I'm sure you will have plenty of advice.  I would agree with Yorkie  and Joyfull though;  she may have come to the end of her egg laying career.  

It may be a good idea to guesstimate her weight for people here to give an opinion.  Does she feel heavier compared to your other hens?  If you have a way of weighing her accurately even better!

By the way congratulations for giving exbatts a chance to live as a hen should live.  They are bred to produce masses of eggs in the first two years of their lives and then finish, which is why commercial producers get rid of them.  If you have had nearly a year of laying I would consider that a bonus and treat her as retired.

 In the meantime good luck!

[compostqueen]

The ex batts should be light. My birds hardly weigh anything, more fat on a chip 

My girls are three years old. One has retired from egg laying but the other one lays every other day or so.  Having said that she's not laid much this week but as long as they're well I'm not worried. 

Your hen should not be heavy as they're brown hybrids designed for egg laying, not eating so are light birds.  Don't give them too many treats as you don't want fat unhealthy girlies   

[JOP]

That great advise thanks a lot everyone. She wights2245g and seeing that I have just got a Rhode rock and  light sussex who weight 1300 g & 1600 g respectivley- that's what's made me think she's on the weighty side, and so contributing to her lack of eggs

[compostqueen]

If you're not giving her treats and too much bread she should be ok. It's when they eat fewer layers pellets and more of the treats that they will gain weight. You don't want an overweight girl on your hands 

[Casey76]

Oooh, she is a but on the heavy side! (and I would expect an adult Light Sussex to weight a bit more!)

For now I would restrict her to layers pellets only, and cut out all of the treats/scraps.

When a light/hybrid hen gets too heavy it can increase the risk of internal laying - something which ex bats are prone to anyway, so you need her to be as fit as possible.

How did she feel when you picked her up?  Did her abdomen feel soft and squishy/fluidy, or did she just feel "meaty"?

On a laying bird the keel (breastbone) should be readily feelable, and really be quite prominent - not exactly a knife edge, but easily identifiable.

Many people (including vets) are surprised at how light a hybrid layer should really be.

Well done on identifying that she might be too fat ;D

[JOP]

thank you casey76 - I will have another feel of her tum, but think it was meaty.  She is a real ganet and she wont be at all impressed with a diet, but she's on one from now on .  No treats.