wiblick Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 This won't affect me until next year but I like to get in my worries early... So if you are working 9-5 and not getting home until after dark and well after the ladies have put themselves to bed, and assuming they are in a run, what do you do about feeding... Consensus for feeding seems to be to give them their layers pellets in the morning and scatter/treat feed them once they have finished those sometime in the afternoon. That's not possible if you are out all day and I can only imagine they'd appreciate the treat food even more in the winter. My current plan for winter is to simply mix their mixed grain food (wheat & corn) with their pellets and assume the colder weather will drive them to eat all of it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Mine get treats when I get home as they come out when they see the outside light, if they don't they don't get any treats that day! Treats arent part of their diet anyway so they can live without them Someone on here had a very clever idea and worked out how much pellets the chickens ate in a day and put the treats on top, they had the type of feeder where the food comes out the bottom so the treats only started to fall when the pellets had been eaten. I put some treats under the pellets in the grub to see if I could replicate it but my little devils dug down! I do make pellet porridge for them first thing, just pellets and hot water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm lucky enough to be able to come home most lunchtimes to let the little monsters out to play and give them some corn , but on days I have to stay at work, they get no treats . On those days, provided the weather is halfway decent, they do get let out in the morning to play in the garden all day though, so they're not too deprived (though I'm sure they'd tell you otherwise ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillicat Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Mine get way too many treats Pasta, corn, greens, spinach, baby sweetcorn, grapes, rice, ....all mixed (not always all together, but a selection) with layers mash, every evening In this weather I also put some poultry spice in. There are four of them and I fill a reasonable sized bowl............and there's not a thing left in it! Just going out to give them some warm pasta now. Snow is throwing itself down in BIG flakes, so poor little things need some warmth don't ya think? PS, layers pellets are always freely available, with fresh drinking water. TBH they will be grateful for treats whenever they can get them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm also out all day for four days of the week, so I give my girls a couple of grapes each, and a quartered apple (between four of them) first thing in the morning. I also have a hamster treat ball which can be filled with corn, and it trickles out slowly when they push it about. I don't give them that every day though. At weekends, when I'm at home all day, they don't get their grapes and apple until afternoon. Since I got my 2 ex batts last weekend I have also been giving them some warm mash porridge every morning, which they go mad for - they consider that a big treat Unfortunately, Gerty & Flo don't understand 'treats' yet, I put some sliced grapes and sweetcorn in their porridge, but they just pick round it I think they like the mixed corn though, and they will cotton on to the rest in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccroft Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 As suggested you could buy a top hat feeder and put the corn at the top and then the corn would lower as the pellets were eaten. Mine get some corn at 4pm, as the children like to give them something after school. Already they make a complaint when it turns up jus afer 4.30pm on a Wednesday. They don't understnd the need for cricket coaching for an 8 year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 at the moment I'm leaving very early and returning very late... so every morning I troop down with bucket of warm water...break the ice and refresh their water, check the layers pellets are topped up...... they are eating masses now they are laying.. I wouldnt mix anything with their layers pellets, they will throw it all out trying to get the treats... in a seperate bowl I have grit and oyster shell, and add verm x and garlic or chicken spice..as required I give them a corn on the cob ..if on special offer, and most mornings add an apple or some tomatoes or sweetcorn...... I clean out on a weekend... I ahve been known to mix porridge oats with hot water and stick that in the bowl....and its all gone on the night... failing any other treats I will add some mixed corn into their seperate bowl.......oh and if fresh herbs are on special...they sometimes get those.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkspurs Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Posh and Pecks only get treats after 3pm, that’s when they are allowed to free range for one to two hours (supervised). I work varying shifts so when I am on late shifts I let the girls out at 1pm for 30 minutes and offer them a few mealworms only, then later in the day someone else is home to ensure they have gone to bed. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I should have said.... dont worry....so long as they have water.....(unfrozen) before you leave on a morning.... Layers pellets topped up daily, and a supply of grit and oystershell, seperate from their pellets... they will be fine....anything extra is a bonus ...... just add a treat before you leave on a morning if you want to....my girls dont get something everyday... sometimes I think the treat just breaks up the day for them, if they arent able to free range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 They don't need anything other than pellets in reality. Any treats or extras are just that treats and extras...and give the owner as much pleasure as the hens. They will be absolutely fine so long as they have plenty of pellets and water. You can save the treats for the weekend, when you are around to enjoy watching them eat them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiblick Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Thanks everyone! The things one worries about! Now to source the grit & flubvenet (sp?!) in Ireland... I think I've sourced everything else online in places that can offer free shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Because we leave in the dark and get home in the dark at the mo, our girls get pellet porridge about 6am with a little something mixed in - a banana or a little bit of corn or some pasta. The beauty of the pellet porridge is that because everything sticks together it's the easiest way of getting stuff into them that they'd otherwise leave in the bottom of the grub (garlic, poultry spice etc), the little monkeys..... I do have to keep an eye on OH though, who tends to go overboard on treats. (I keep pointing out the other three won't lay if all they eat is goodies.) It'll be better in the summer when they can have treats and playtime after work (Mmmm, summertime... warmth... light....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Mine have a peckablock, they get treats as well in the afternoon when I'm home but they love the peckablock and it gives them something to do and lasts for ages. You can get them online from Flytesofancy. £6.20 They also have pellet porridge in the morning before I leave for work. And they have pellets and layers mash with bokashi all mixed up in a hanging gravity feeder which they much prefer to eating from the grub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I give mine their treats when I get home from school, if I am late and they have gone to bed they miss out but enjoy the next days treat even more As long as they have water and their layers pellets they will manage without treats, the treats are the extras But I do like to see them tucking into their treats, they or should I say, I have just discovered that they love mashed potato. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
