AskFinecto Chicken Kakelpraat | Broiler chickens and good intentions

Kakelpraat | Broiler chickens and good intentions

The title of this chatter often characterizes the last week of December; we have once again eaten just a bit too much from the Christmas feast, resulting in good intentions to lose some kilos in the new year.

Chicken talk

2 January '24 • 1 min reading time

Hobby Chickens and Overweight

For many hobby chickens, they eat too much daily, resulting in many chickens being too fat; even unhealthily fat. But don't expect a chicken to have good intentions to lose some weight. We, as keepers, are responsible for that.

Resolution for 2024

A nice resolution for 2024 for many chicken keepers would be; "to care for my chickens in such a way that they live healthy and happy lives!"

Ignorance Among Animal Keepers

Of course, every animal keeper does their utmost to take good care of their animals, but sometimes it is pure ignorance that leads to animals receiving too little or even too much.

Natural Eating Habits of Chickens

In the wild, chickens spend most of the day foraging; scratching around in and on the ground, they search for insects, worms, seeds, sprouts, etc. All edible animal and plant food enters the gastrointestinal tract in small portions and is digested evenly.

Problems Due to Luxury Consumption

Chickens in a coop are usually provided with unlimited chicken feed or meal and can therefore eat continuously without any effort. A full crop serves as a warning to take it easy and perhaps take a dust bath, but by the end of the day, the average hobby chicken has usually consumed more than it actually needed. We call this 'luxury consumption,' and it leads to obesity. This is not only unhealthy, but it usually means that chickens stop laying eggs...!

How do you recognize an overly fat chicken?

Many hobby chicken keepers are unaware that their animals are too fat because it is not easily visible through the feathers. The best approach is to regularly pick up an animal and feel it; the presence or absence of the breastbone provides information about the nutritional status.

Rationing Chicken Feed

It turns out that if the majority of your chickens are too fat, it is advisable to put the chickens on a ration. This good intention means in practice that the chickens will only receive 80% of their daily feed intake from chicken feed.

New Year's Wish

I wish all chicken keepers a wonderful new year with healthy, sufficiently productive chickens!

Due to laws and regulations, we are not permitted to mention related products on this website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Also interesting

Red mites

How long do blood mites survive without chickens?

Once a red mite has emerged from its egg, it lives for about 6 to 8 weeks under normal conditions. Here you can read more about the life cycle and behavior of red mites. Without food (chickens or other poultry), a red mite can survive for a maximum of 2 weeks. An adult red mite can lay up to 8 eggs per day under ideal conditions. And it is precisely these eggs that are the 'strongest link' when it comes to survival.

Red mites

My chickens have red mites, what now?

Red mites make their nests in a dark place where the hen cannot eat them. They often hide in cracks and crevices or, for example, behind nesting boxes. There are often wall shelves installed in a chicken coop, and the red mite can be found in the shelf brackets. So don't forget to unscrew and remove all parts from the chicken coop. You can burn the nests with a weed torch or use a pressure washer on them.

Feather lice

What are feather mites and how do you treat them?

Feather mites do not feed on blood like blood mites, but instead feed on the protein found in the feathers of chickens. They do not suck blood and remain on the chicken. Feather mites stay on the chicken during the day and are easier to see with the naked eye than blood mites. However, feather mites can be difficult to detect during an early infestation, and it takes some time before they cause symptoms. Chickens usually get feather mites from new chickens that are purchased and are infected. Wi...

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