Single hen

[sti chick]

please could you tell me what you give your ladies for breakfast?? Do you give them something else with their mash/pellets?? Also what time of day would you give leftovers?

hope you can help.

 

lin

[Chickvic]

My girls only get pellets in the morning, they aren't allowed out to free range until the afternoon and treats get put back to about 3pm or 4pm. If they are free ranging and I have to put them back in the run they get a small amount of corn or mealworms. I make porridge up in the afternoon too.

 

HTH

[poachedegg]

I only gave pellet porridge for breakfast when it was cold and not everyday as I didn't want them getting in the habit - so now the weather is better, they just have normal pellets in the grub for breakfast.

 

In the afternoons, I give them pellet porridge probably every other day, so that I can give them their supplements. I put about 3 spoons of pellets in each bowl, cover in water, as the pellets absorb the water, then add a little garlic, crushed egg shell, bokashi bran, limestone flour and then any extras, sometimes I don't add anything - other days I might add sweetcorn or spinach or cucumber or celery - just depends what I have in. I then stir it all up and serve........ they love it!

[sti chick]

thank you for your replies...that helps me, wasn't sure if i was feeding them correctly. When the ladies wake up they get layers mash (which is available all day....is that the right thing to do?) Then usually late afternoon they get any leftovers or some corn or some mealworms. Any suggestions as to what else i should be doing would be very helpful. thank you

 

lin

[Egluntyne]

thank you for your replies...that helps me, wasn't sure if i was feeding them correctly. When the ladies wake up they get layers mash (which is available all day....is that the right thing to do?)

Yes it is exactly the right thing to do. They should have mash or pellets (whichever you are using) available all day (from waking up to going to bed) for them to feed from ad lib.

 

Then usually late afternoon they get any leftovers or some corn or some mealworms. Any suggestions as to what else i should be doing would be very helpful. thank you

Sounds as if you have got it right. I would also give them some mixed poultry grit in a pot that they can help themselves from, if you haven't done so already. .

[sti chick]

yes they have a supply of mixed grit & oyster shell at all times . I forgot to say they have their greens, also either hanging on some string or in food balls just so they don't get bored. i think they are better fed than us! .

thank you for your help

 

lin

[Millihelen]

I've never been able to get our girls to eat pellet porridge.

SO - in the cold weather they got real porridge, made with oats and warm water, topped with dried currants, chopped dates etc!

[Patricia W]

Hi Milliehelen

 

I'm in Abingdon too, so nice to know there are others also out there. Hope you can't hear my cockerel! - and I've never been able to get mine to eat layers porridge either! In fact, they aren't interested in " sloppy stuff" at all.

 

Tricia

[Millihelen]

Hi Tricia

Glad I am not alone! I haven't heard any cockerel so far.......

But if I do, I'll know who to blame

[Valkyrie]

Mine have a teaspoon of Marmite diluted with warm water then I add jumbo oats, a little diatom, bokashi bran and a few raisins. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of poultry spice, Vermex pellets (for 3 days at the beginning of the months when I don't use the Flubenvet). Sometimes I crumble a little Weetabix or add some linseeds to the mix. Their layers pellets that are pecked to dust are added occasionally. They don't like mix to be runny and sticky - because they are fussy little monsters!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Mine had grubs of pellets (dry mash at the mo as I'm a bad mummy & let them run out of pellets !!) on the go all the time. In the morning & tea time they have a bowl of mash porridge with maybe a handful of sultanas &/or corn added for tea, or maybe not - depends who makes it really!

 

Mash & pellets are stored separately in cereal containers in their cupboard, mixed with limestone flour, garlic powder and bokashi bran ready to serve.

 

If it's cold & they think they can get away with it, occasionally they come mob-winged & demand extra rations at about lunchtime....and get it too!!

 

If I need to get them in & they are free-ranging, which they do most of the day if I'm at home, I throw a handful of corn into the runs & they are greatly entertained at least until I get to the car!!

 

They always have a pot of grit available and the big grit pot also known as a dustbath ( or nearly 2 inch deep flooded sludge boxes as they were this morning after all the rain last night.... )

 

Any spare veggies go out too, my batties don't seem to like peas though the other devoured them in seconds!!

 

Sha x