Margalot Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Hello, Chickens arrived 2 1/2 weeks ago and their daily routine is this: 7.30ish - let them out to free range - they eat grass 9.15 ish - shut back into run - broccoli used to get them in, layers pellets in grub 2 - 3pmish - let back out to free range and afternoon treats of corn/grapes My worry is this... all the others seem to eat from the grub but Bonbon seems happy to scratch and graze on grass all day until the corn arrives and then she gobbles as much up as possible. I fill 2 small ramekins with corn but am now concerned that Bon bon is being crafty and waiting for the corn. should I cut back on their afternoon treats? They are all laying now except little ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 They can be quite crafty, try keeping them in in the mornings for a day or two with nothing to eat but pellets, then let them out once they've eaten and use the corn to get them back in. That way at least you'll know they're getting their basic food requirement, that said, mine have days where they eat nothing but grass and bugs and they seem alright! BeckyBoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I only throw a handful of corn...or sweetcorn to lure 16 of them back into the run. I agree about not letting them out till the afternoon so that they tank up on pellets. In the absence of anything else to eat, Bon Bon will get the hang of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 as possible. I fill 2 small ramekins with corn but am now concerned that Bon bon is being crafty and waiting for the corn. should I cut back on their afternoon treats? I only use corn to lure them back into their run after free ranging, I personally don't give it as a treat. My 4 get an egg cup of corn full thrown in their run and that's all. They do get other s"Ooops, word censored!"s as treats though, but not too much corn. If Bon Bon is developing a "corn habit" (ohh sounds like a drug habit doesn't it.....) then maybe cut down on the corn or even go "cold turkey" (or should that be chicken) and cut it out for a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I give corn to mine late afternoon, just a little to let them fill themselves up before bed but I dont feed them any before that. I never use it to get them back in their run as they prefer a grape each!, they run into your arms for those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I get mine back into the run with corn at about 3.30pm at the moment usually a generous handful with some mealworms on top between 4 of them. They usually stay in the run until about 1pm then they are out until when I get in with YD from school, later in the summer, that way I know that they will have mostly laid and eaten plenty of pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 The very experienced chicken expert at our local poultry centre reckons he gives something like a handful of corn between 9 hens, a couple of times a week. He says that because it is so hard to digest, it makes the hens feel full for longer so they don't eat their more nutritious mash or pellets I use at most a palmful to get them back in the run, they don't have treats every day. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewhitehouse Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Inexperienced chicken keeper as I am (4 months or so) and working full time mine are mostly in their run where they get pellets and bokashi mixed and occasionally some left over greens or a lettuce before it turns into a science project. If I'm working from home or at the weekend they're in all morning, let out to freerange on the grass (yes we still have grass) for the remainder of the day (until dusk). They have a handful of corn (maybe two) and some mealworms if I have some. They take themselves to bed and don't need any bribing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Generally a handful thrown in some days - not everyday here. Even talking to the Allen & Page rep at the national show he was saying 20g per hen per day, certainly that is nowhere near a handful per hen. As an idea pellets should be 100g-120g per day, so even the feed producers are saying 5:1 pellets:corn at a max. Personally I would lay off the treats until they get the pellet habit. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 mine dont get let out to free range until 10am after being let out the cube at 7am. They then can stroll around the garden without treats at their hearts content and then they are put back in the run around 4pm ish, they have a yoghurt pot of corn between 4 chooks & a corn on the cob and a small handful of mealworms between 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Pellets???? Mine refused them from the start. I make up mash with a little boiling water to make it moist but NOT a porridge, plus leftovers thrown in, every morning and the chooks are shut in for maybe an hour. They free range all day popping in and out to have some mash. They get an afternoon treat of sweetcorn and or mealworms and put themselves to bed. They have a small container of grit in the run and a hopper full of corn but they don't eat very much of that at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I'm with the "Only a handful of corn to get them back in" brigade. I make sure my girls are in their run to fill up with pellets for several hours before letting them out to free range and scavenge. You definitely need to break the corn habit, as it is not very nutritious as a staple diet. Once your hen realises that there is nothing on offer but pellets, she will probably eat them when she's hungry. You could try different brands of layers pellets. My hens don't like the expensive organic stuff, preferring D&H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Mine aren't keen on the organic ones either, I buy the Allen & Paige yellow bags and the organci ones and mix them, I do this incase I can't get the yellow ones I figure if they are used to the organic ones sometimes they will eat them if they have to. I have heard that corn is a good thing for them to have just before bed in the winter because it is slow to digest and helps to keep them sustained and warm through the long night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margalot Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Oh dear looks as if I have been feeding them way to much corn! Thanks for all the advice, I kept them in the run all day yesterday and let them out around 3pm with a handful of corn for them to scratch for. At around 4pm Bon bon was spotted eating from the grub I bet she thought god I'm starving tonight! looks as if its this or rumbley tum. So pleased - as I could see the expensive small bag of corn diminshing and the huge supply of 20kg pellets looking untouched! They still had some broccoli and a couple of grapes though!...can't resist the race for the grapes between Bonbon and Tinkerbelle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I keep mine in the run until I get back from the school run, so they've stocked up on breakfast pellets. Then they scoff anything and everything from the garden, before a handful of corn is thrown into the run to get them all in before the second school run. I tend to alternate between corn, raisins or a bowlful of oat porridge. I probably do spoil them, but they aren't over weight and are laying beautifully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazzarina Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Oh dear oh dear. Sounds as if my girls have been getting far too much corn (1/2 of a ramekin between 3!); a diet is in order. They can be terribly persuasive, though, especially when they run up and look at me with that inquisitive chickeny expression, head cocked to one side.I'm putty in their hands. They do eat their layers' pellets though, and indeed everything else that comes their way except sprouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I know I give my girls more than the recommended amount of corn each afternoon but they look so cute . I just can't refuse, and they still lay the same amount of eggs. They have me exactly where they want me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I give my girls a bowl of mash porridge every morning & they always have pellets in the grub availbale. I then given them another bowl of mash with a "slosh" (whatever comes out of the container ) of corn & a handful of sultanas maybe, when they come a-knocking an hour or so before bed, or when I have to shut them in for the schoolrun. If I'm home, they then freerange all day from about 9, so they've eaten plenty of the "good stuff" before embarking on a smorgasbord of grass & grubs! Last night I did the latter routine with my girls and the new Orpies; DH decided that the big girls obviously need more than our girls, so said should he put a bit more corn in for them (we were going out & they were being left to go to bed & my parents were going to pop in to shut their doors on their way out to meet us - confused? We were!! ) Ok says I, thinking another handful won't hurt....well I've not used a quantity like that - ever! When we got home I cleared their bowls away & as an experiment I removed all the "spare" dry corn from the bowls & filled a 5in round, 1.5 in deep bowl with corn He had also tried to put a similar sized bowl in there too - I did stop that! I have told him that too much corn is not great and they all had pellets so wouldn't starve..... Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
