Reptile & Amphibian Forums

PLEASE HELP!!! My hubby and I are new to chickens but we have 5 now. what I think to be 4 hens and one VERY LARGE ROOSTER. 4 months ago we purchased your typical chicks. Now 4 and a half months later I have 4 beautiful hens but this rooster is enormous. And I mean HUGE. This guy is all of 7 or 8 SOLID pounds. They dont get sweet treats or table scraps. Twice a week the 5 get to split 1 can of corn. Besides that they were on Starter feed and then moved to cracked corn and scratch feed. They get to eat what they find outside. Leaves, grass, bugs, standard chicken food. But this guy has me worried. I can hear him breathe sometimes and he won't walk for any length of time, he waddles, and in the new hen house, you can hear his footfalls. I am really worried here. I don't know what is normal and what is not. Has anyone here come across a truly overweight rooster and if so, what can be done to help him slim down? Chase him around the pen for exercise? Any suggestions?

LOL, well, sounds like their diet is fine, and he should be getting more exercise than some chickens by being in a pen rather than a small cage. Grab him sometime and feel around his breastbone -- you should be able to feel the full line of the keel from the upper chest to where it ends, with muscle on either side. The keel itself should not be covered by anything but skin -- if there's padding over the breastbone, that's fat, and you have a fat rooster. Also, look under some of the feathers of the chest -- the "skin" should be red or pink (this is actually the muscle showing through the skin), but if it's yellow, once again, that's fat. If not, I wouldn't worry about it. Some roosters are just built heavy and waddle etc. without being particularly overweight.... heavy they may be, but not fat. If he is fat, I don't know if there's much you can do about it. It would be difficult to change his diet without changing the diet of the hens, which presumably are a normal weight and don't need to go on a diet. Actually, if you're up to it, a bit of exercise may help -- chase him until he's starting to get out of breath. If you do it routinely, that should be for longer and longer periods. I don't know what the neighbors would think if they can see you, though, LOL

- Lara

Thanks for that well explained answer Lara. I have done a bit of research on my fat little fellow and have found that he is, unfortunately, a Jumbo Cornish X Rock, bred to gain fast, die at 6-8 weeks and be eaten. Those that don't get slaughtered live only 6-8 months. Hens longer, but this guy will continue to gain weight until
A) His legs give out and wont support the weight or
B) He has a heart attack and dies.
There is nothing that can be done for him except to make him happy and comfortable. I do chase them around the pen for fun, but my neighbors are chasing their goats around, so I don't think I have much to worry about. In my book, chasing a goat looks far worse, Ha ha. I have photos posted of my small flock if anyone wants to see a Rock Cornish Hen at full maturity
www.freewebs.com/lovemychickens
Again, thanks for the input, it WILL help with the rest of my small flock.
Tammy
Link

Thanks for that well explained answer Lara. I have done a bit of research on my fat little fellow and have found that he is, unfortunately, a Jumbo Cornish X Rock, bred to gain fast, die at 6-8 weeks and be eaten. Those that don't get slaughtered live only 6-8 months. Hens longer, but this guy will continue to gain weight until
A) His legs give out and wont support the weight or
B) He has a heart attack and dies.
There is nothing that can be done for him except to make him happy and comfortable. I do chase them around the pen for fun, but my neighbors are chasing their goats around, so I don't think I have much to worry about. In my book, chasing a goat looks far worse, Ha ha. I have photos posted of my small flock if anyone wants to see a Rock Cornish Hen at full maturity
www.freewebs.com/lovemychickens
Again, thanks for the input, it WILL help with the rest of my small flock.
Tammy
Link