Steph101 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 How often do you refresh the grub feeder with fresh pellets and stuff? I give them the organic pellets, mix in a little corn, bokashi bran, mixed chicken grit, a little diatom earth, poultry spice and garlic powder. They hardly seem to touch it, and I am starting to worry that it goes damp after a couple of days. We've noticed eggs starting to change since introducing our new girl a week ago. Some have been smaller, a couple with a sandpaper texture shell, and this morning I discovered a soft shelled one in the droppings tray! What could be the cause? Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 If they are new to laying they will sometimes lay a soft shelled egg, as their system gets used to 'full production'. Mine barely touched their food until all were laying. Once they all start, I fill the feeders every 2-3 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 We refill ours every other day but ours are eating and laying loads at the moment. You may be better to just putting pellets in the grub and keeping the corn and grit seperate. Hens tend to eat corn in preference to pellets which will affect egg production. We give super mixed corn as a treat in the late afternoon and this comes with grit in it and we have had not softies since we started using it at the end of last year. They will eat and drink a lot more once laying really gets going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I also refill our grubs every 2-3 days My girls are freeranging most of the day so they tend to find bits to eat as they go around the garden. I make sure though that they have an hour in the morning and evening in their run so they tend to eat most of their pellets then. I used to put a scoop of corn in with their pellets but found they would eat that first........now it is just given as a treat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 That's interesting. I think I might be overdosing them on treats as well! Thank you both; I'll try altering the feed as you've suggested. Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I read somewhere that, for hybrids, at least 80% of what they eat should be "proper" food (pellets or mash) for optimum health and egg laying, etc. Most of mine eat loads of food, (just over half a kilo of pellets a day between them) but my 2 skylines that I've had since just before Easter are still not anywhere near laying eggs so don't seem to eat very much. As they get closer to egg laying you'll notice a dramatic increase in the amount of food they eat, if they're anything like mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I only put pellets in my grub - it may be they are not fond of something you are adding in - personally I would give grit, etc separately. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I add limestone flour only to the pellets. I give them their grit separately. It is in a pot in their ranging area, and they help themselves on an ad lib basis. Mixed corn and Bokashi are given now and then, and sweetcorn in the evening to lure them in their run. I agree that the main part of their diet should be pellets if you want them to lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I haven't got a grub, I'm still using my temporary milk bottle feeder, mine seem to eat plenty, I fill the feeder with pellets every morning and it's almost empty when they go to bed, so I weighed it when full to see how much they were eating, works out at 3oz of pellets each, which is about what it says on the pellet bag, only 1 of mine is laying though. I don't add anything to the pellets ( can't be bothered fussing around )except a bit of poultry spice once a week , which they love - they stand around the feeder stuffing themselves I put their grit in a seperate container so I can see how much of what they are eating, and if they have corn as their treat, I scatter it in the run or hand feed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Mine hardly touched their food for the first 10 days so I was only half filling the grub every couple of days and finding most of it was left. Suddenly over the last couple of days their appetites have increased. They almost emptied the grub yesterday so I've filled it completely today. At least one is crouching so I guess they are getting ready to lay. Mine get small handful of bokashi and a small handful of corn and odd bits of left overs as treats between 5 and I sometimes bulk it out with pellets. They don't seem to notice - if it's in the treat bowl it must be good stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 I'll have to try and get hold of some limestone flour. I'll start giving them grit seperately too - maybe that is what's putting them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 You can get limestone flour from horsey shops but it comes in big tubs, Smaller quantities are available on Ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I've always fed every day adapting to how much they eat after the first few days. I take my grubs away though because of rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I have a slap-dash way. i just bung another scoop of pellets in when it's looking a bit empty. I've learned not to over-fill it as my hens waste loads that way by being messy eaters. I have put a cat litter tray under the feeder to catch any spillage to prevent the horrid gone-off soggy pellets smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirkwood Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 i have just purchased the orange grub and glug and i didnt realise just how big they are!!1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I got two red peanut feeders with my eglu, & I swopped one with Aunty e for a green glug. It's massive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 As I take mine indoors every night I fill it every night ready for the morning - but just pellets only. I feed grit in a little tub attached to the run inside and they eat loads of it and I feel the poultry spice/limestone flour in the porridge/boiled peelings etc and they eat it all up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoxy Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 (edited) Been reading this thread with interest Our chooks are arriving on Tuesday and I will only be getting a bag of feed with them Do I need to buy Bokashi bran, corn, grit, limestone flour, spice, flea powder etc., etc before they arrive? Think I can buy some of these via Omlet/Ebay? I do know of couple places locally...one of which is a Horse tack/feed shop and the other has and sells chooks...guess they may sell the above? Should I also buy something similar to a cat litter tray for our chooks to use as a dustbath? What should I put in it...sand? Soil? Do perches and dustbath have to be placed in the Eglu run? We have CD's to hang up...do they have to be hung up on chains or can I use something else? Other than water, can I use any type of disinfectant to wash poo off patio...I've heard Ecover mentioned...is this the Ecover brand of washing up liquid that supermarkets sell? Thank you. Lou Sorry to have so many queries but I'm getting a little worried that I'm not properly prepared for our girls arrival Thank you. Lou Edited April 5, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I put a large cat litter tray in the run and bought sand for them - result - full of bark chips after about 10 minutes so put it outside - result - full of water and now used as a drink bowl although its full of sand and bark too - LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...