4mo old Chicken -underweight?

Question

We just expanded our chicken yard, due to the new arrivals, and I was in my chicken house last night checking on them, I picked one of the new hens up -her keel bone was sharp as a knife in my hand and she didn't feel like she weighed hardly anything.

We held her and offered her the chicken feed, she picked at it once, and then ignored it, so we offered her the scratch, that she ate quite a bit of.

When we put her back on the ground, she walked over to the feeder and pecked at it twice, and then another hen swung at her a little, and she walked away.

Do you think we'll have to get her special food? Hand-feed her, to make sure she's eating? It's hard because we are leaving the animals in someone else's care while we go on vacation for a few weeks, so we have less than a week to decide what to do and care for her.

Answer 1

http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Unusual-Pet...

I have pet chickens, I love them..

I would suggest putting her in a smaller pen with another young one.. (not a bully) and give her better ration.. even some brown bread.. she was probably on the bottom of the pecking order and wasnt getting enough food..

have they been checked by a vet for health?

Answer 2

She was probably being bullied away from the feed by the hens higher up in the pecking order.I would try putting her in a pen by herself for a while and see how she does,just be careful if you try to reintroduce her to the pen with the others,they may be even worse to her.Ive had a couple of hens that have almost died from being pecked in the head from the hens in their pen.