Using "fat" to describe a hen...

[crumpetcrumpets]

Hi everyone - I am writing a children's book, and I describe a character as a "fat laying hen". I wanted to gage a general feel to whether as parents you feel this is simply descriptive, whether anyone feels that referring to a laying hen as fat has negative connotations and just general feedback to using the word "fat" to describe an animal.

All feedback welcomed!

I'd see it as just a description (as long as the hen is actually fat).

Personally the word fat would not concern me to describe an animal. I would just see it as descriptive.

In "what the ladybird heard" Julia Donaldson writes about "the fat red hen" it wouldn't occur to me to get worked up about it.

It's just descriptive, a ditty book DS got a week ago had a fat bug and a long thin bug, it's just the norm in kids books I think.

No problem with the word fat, think it's unhealthy to shield children from reality.

On rereading though, if people were being reeeeeally picky, I suppose you could say this was either a fat hen that laid eggs, or some sort of greasy bummed chicken that laid globs of butter!

Nine, ten, a big fat hen.
Fat cushions, fat tires, fat succulent sausages...

Lots of things that are good to be fat. Probably good to have the word used in positive contexts.