Installing Indoor Cat Tree

[Attila the Hen]

Hello, We had our new Eglu delivered on Thursday, along with a couple of the gingernut rangers. Everything has been fantastic - the chucks are great. One question though - when the nice chap delivered the Eglu, he half filled the grub feeder. 4 days on, they haven't really eaten much of it (probably about half a teacup full between the 2 of them), and they haven't really had anything else (one slice of bread and a couple of apple peeling pieces). They certainly know where the feeder is, as I have seen them taking a few pecks from it. In the brochure, they led us to expect to have to fill up the feeder every 2 days with 2 chickens - at this rate it will be 2 weeks! Do they normally take a little while to settle in, or should I be worried. Are these girls doing the Atkins diet????? They did seem to enjoy a couple of worms that they found. Thanks in advance for any help you are able to give......

[Tina C]

I had the same problem when my two arrived. I think it just takes a bit of time for them to get used to their new home - and the feeders. Mine ate loads of grass while they were in the run though. We kept them in for 5 days and of course once we let them out there was an endless supply of all sorts of goodies, including an area of longish grass, which they tucked into with relish.

 

To be honest it is only in the last week or so - since we have had a few cooler nights (and days) that they have really eaten what I would have expected from reading the Omlet website.

 

At one point I resorted to throwing some of the pellets on the ground in the run to check they were actually eating them - they do seem to enjoy scratching for fod more than putting their heads in the feeder. Maybe they just don't feel safe enough to do that at first.

 

Enjoy your new babies, chickens are just great.

[bellekatz]

I persevered with pellets for my 3 girls until last week. I still have 1/2 bag left from when they were delivered in August and have had 3 girls for the past month. So I bought some Organic layers meal and they love it!!! I tried mixing it with the pellets to start and they just threw all the pellets out and wolfed the meal down like it was going out of fashion. They are always eating and i have to fill it up every third day, even when it has been full to the brim. Also, I have now started getting 2 eggs a day again having had 4 eggs a week for the last 2 weeks. They definitely prefer it! They are now happy eating their "proper" food for most of the day so I am happy too!

[rachel19]

Mine have never eaten pellets but mixed with warm water and with goodies such as chopped grape mixed in they just about tolerate it. They much prefer other food like mixed seed and especially mealworms!

[Looney]

Hi, I had the same worries about my chucklies not eating as much as they say in the Omlet guide. I've started just putting a mug full of food in the feeder (which is approx the amount that 2 chucks are supposed to eat per day) to see how long it takes them to get through it.

 

Saying that, it's hard to monitor when I can't resist feeding them treats as well which they prefer over pellets anyday!!!!

 

Guess they'll eat more as they get older and when they start laying....

 

Lorna

[Egluntyne]

I was surprised at how little mine ate when they first arrived.

 

As with you, the chap who delivered the Eglu filled the grub to the brim, and it was still nearly full a week later.

 

I think they eat much more when they actually start laying.

 

Don't overdo it with treats, although I know it is hard to resist, also give any treats in the afternoon, so that they don't crowd out the "real"food.

 

Turned out that mine didn't like the Omlet pellets. When the bag ran out, I bought some bog standard layers pellets from a local supplier for the simple reason that I was not prepaared to pay the ridiculous delivery charge on the Omlet pellets. I can get 3 x 20kg bags from my supplier for the price of one delivered by Omlet.

 

They absolutely love the new pellets, and I have to fill both Grubs every day.

 

All the best.

[aqualiv]

I bought a large sack of pellets from omlet and my girls don't seem to like them at all

They prefer corn bought from my local pet shop.

Olivia

[Guest]

Don't overdo the corn, as it will make them fat. Try giving them the pellets in the morning, and only giving a handful of corn later in the afternoon, as a supper before they go to bed, IF they have eaten their pellets.

[annegel]

I am a very experienced eglu owner, since last weekend!!!!!!

 

I don't think my 2 girls eat as much as I expected. They aren't chooks from Omlet, they came from Wernlas, near Ludlow. They are still too young to lay so I expect that's one reason for a smaller appetite. I weighed the peanut feeders before I put them out and again at night and found that they're eating 100 - 120g of growers pellets per day. They weren't getting any treats then as I wanted to be sure they were settled before I introduced any new variables (I didn't receive this as advice - just thought it may be best). They've had a few treats this weekend and have been allowed out to scratch about in the garden and have seen them tucking into worms and a centipede!

 

Hope my experience helps - but isn't all so strange and worrying at first?!

[The Dogmother]

Do you know how old your hens are? If they are still young - small pinkish combs - then they will be eating a good deal less (this also happens when they moult or go off-lay). As soon as they are mature, they will eat fro England.

[divinggatita]

Hi,

 

Our girls have been with us for 12 days now and have still not eaten their first peanut full of pellets that the Omlet Delivery man filled up. Maybe they were fed on a different brand or mash before? I've tried scattering it, hand feeding it but to no avail. They freerange now and seem to love eating my plants instead and the wild bird seed spilt from the feeder (I know they shouldn't due to Avian Flu). They don't seem to like many of the treats other hens enjoy either. I've tried grapes, raisins, broccoli, spring greens etc. They do like a little corn, linseeds and earthworms but not slugs. They don't move far either if I leave them in the run they just sit in the eglu all day and only come out if we go into the garden. Even freeranging they only cover 2 square metres of garden. Maybe they are really lazy! They love our company and have hand fed from the moment they arrived (not pellets anymore) they chase all birds and our cat on sight! maybe I should try the mash instead.

 

Sandy

[The Dogmother]

Save your money and try grinding some of your pellets to mash in a liquidiser - it may be that they are used to mash. That way you can gradually introduce them to pellets. Although if they are Omlet birds, then they will have been fed on pellets.

 

You might want to try ringing Omlet with your query - they are always very helpful.

[red]

My new girls are eating but not as much as Mavis is. If I remember rigtly when I first got Mavis and Edna it took a couple of weeks for them to get into the swing of things. Try the following:

 

Make sure the peanuts are not hooked up too high - OH did this once and wondered why they hadn't eaten any In fact I think it is worthwhile hanging it very low at first - my two new ones have been eating pellets at the breeders but not from a peanut - they are used to eating from grain feeders on the floor - it will take them a little while to get the hang of it.

 

Leave them in the run for the first half of the day and only let them out/give them treats after lunchtime - this way they may be more inclined to tuck into their pellets - which of course are very good for them and will help ensure they get all the goodness they need for great eggs

 

Try not to hand feed them so much - perhaps just in the afternoons if you're giving them treats - it is good that you've done this and that they have got used to you so soon but I wonder if it may be worthwhile being less hands on while they get used to eating from the peanuts. They may be lazy and not bother persevering with the peanuts when they can just wait for you to come and handfeed them some tasty treats.

 

Make sure they have a good supply of clean fresh water.

 

Don't worry if they don't like the same treats as others - mine aren't mad on slugs either - mine like corn and grapes although they can be fussy about grapes

 

Hope this helps.

[Looney]

Hi,

 

Since my earlier post on this thread (30th Oct) Doris and Gwen have started eating like troopers! Probably due to several different reasons - I haven't had a day off work so they have been in the run all the time and by the time I get home they are in bed so no extra treats, plus they are getting older and their combs and faces are now a beautiful red colour rather than pink.....

 

....I still only put a days worth of food out at a time so I can keep an eye on how much they are eating - more for my reassurance than anything else!

[red]

pleased to hear things are going well and the girls have found their appetites - there'll be no stopping them now!

[The Dogmother]

Sounds like they're getting ready to lay - watch out for them crouching - then the eggs are only a few days away!

[Miss Cooks]

I bought a large sack of pellets from omlet and my girls don't seem to like them at all

They prefer corn bought from my local pet shop.

Olivia

 

Olivia, maybe that's one reason why one of your chooks isn't laying? I read somewhere that they don't lay if they get fat? Of course, it doesn't explain why one is laying...... Maybe it would be worth changing her feed?