4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[bessandra]

Hi

I've been home poorly all week but not being one to mope around, I found a few things to do during the 'good' periods in my day..

 

Firstly, I made a peckablock! Thank you for the recipe someone posted a while ago. My girls love it - I added in raisins, sunflower hearts, poultry spice and limestone flour, in addition to the basics.

 

Secondly, I ordered some mealworms to set up my own little breeding programme! Thank you Janty - a previous post - I'm very excited! Theya rrived this morning so I've spent the last hour organising the breeding station...and giving my ex-batts and my ducks some live mealworms for the first time..euwwww..

 

some would call me sad..I can take it

[chickencam]

Spoiling our girls is a favourite pastime on here so no one will think that you are sad

[bessandra]

Well thank you Liz, maybe its a south-west thing..I see your location !!

[xScrunchee]

Reading this post has just inspired me to make a couple of peckablocks so thank you

 

I have been meaning to buy some for ages but they cost a fair bit and I spend a fortune on the girls as it is so now I have 2 in the oven and we'll see what they make of them and how long they last

[JS1]

I've actually bought a peckablock, but am not sure what to do with it. Should I hang it up in the evening, then take it down again, or is it okay to leave it there? (three chickens - they love lettuce and soft fruit and the odd handful of mixed corn but otherwise don't get much in the way of treats)

[xScrunchee]

I just hang mine up and leave it in their run.

I do move it about sometimes just so that it's not always in the same place. Like to keep them on their toes

[bessandra]

Reading this post has just inspired me to make a couple of peckablocks so thank you

 

Great! I think like you say, moving it around is a good idea. I always hang their broccoli in a different place and their food balls actually..sometimes I sneak out in the evening when they've gone to bed and do it..it makes me feel like Father Christmas - delivering children's stockings over night - that way, its a nice surprise when they wake up, food and treats and lovely things..everywhere!!!

[JS1]

Your chicks sound very lucky, bessandra. Do food balls work? Mine weren't interested in spinach (which they normally love) when I put it in a string bag and suspended it from their run. Also, do yours eat all the broccoli or just the tips?

[beulah59]

Can anyone post a link to the peckablock recipe? I can't find it ...

[xScrunchee]

You will need a stick of some sort, garden cane works well, cut a piece of cane and drill a hole near one end for hanging it up.

 

Next collect the ingredients you want to add, mixed corn, pellets etc. Crack a fresh egg into a bowl, mix the egg with a few dessert spoons of flour & a drop of water. So that it forms a runny paste.

Cut a long wide piece of kitchen tin foil. Then in the bowl that you have the mixed egg & flour, add the mixed corn etc, mix it all up so the mixed corn & pellets start to stick together. Give it a good mix so that everything is coated.

Spoon the mix onto the tin foil to make a long sausage shape, you can add the stick through the middle at this stage. Then wrap the foil around the ingredients and press firmly so it sticks together to form a sausage like shape. Then put it in the oven at 120 degrees for an hour to let it dry out slowly. Check it's hard, if not leave a bit longer then let it cool and let the birds test it out.

 

Just copied and pasted this from an old post

[beulah59]

Many thanks

[bessandra]

I used that recipe but added marmite,raisins,sunflower hearts,poultry spice and limestone flour and tonight,I added a packet of Dorset cereal an made two blocks..one for my friend (where are you julia55?!)..

 

Js1-thank you,I think they are lucky girls,I only had 2 eggs from 7 girls today tho maybe the rain put them off?! They love broccoli and leave about one inch of the stalk which is then split between my two,four legged rubbish-compost bin-eating beasts (labradors). And the food balls work ok but don't hold much do they?I have been putting runner bean leaves and wraps in today,previously,grapes,cucumber,spinach and cabbage.I'm not sure I'd bother to get them again though.I hope that helps.I see you are new-welcome and good luck!

[xScrunchee]

Just remembered something I wanted to say

 

I used a tent peg for the 'stick', worked out ideal. The rounded part at the top is perfect for hanging it up

[xScrunchee]

Reading this post has just inspired me to make a couple of peckablocks so thank you

 

Great! I think like you say, moving it around is a good idea. I always hang their broccoli in a different place and their food balls actually..sometimes I sneak out in the evening when they've gone to bed and do it..it makes me feel like Father Christmas - delivering children's stockings over night - that way, its a nice surprise when they wake up, food and treats and lovely things..everywhere!!!

 

 

 

Oooo, that's what I do too

 

Sneaking about moving things around and hanging new treats up ready for the morning

[Chucky Mama]

 

Secondly, I ordered some mealworms to set up my own little breeding programme! Thank you Janty - a previous post - I'm very excited! Theya rrived this morning so I've spent the last hour organising the breeding station...and giving my ex-batts and my ducks some live mealworms for the first time..euwwww..

 

I quite fancy giving that a try (or maybe I will give it to ES as a project), could you point me in the right direction please?

[bessandra]

A tent peg!brilliant idea! Thank you

 

re.mealworms..euwww..if you do a search thru omlet then a thread comes up

with instructions,it's really useful but I'm discovering new things doing it myself!I got my live worms from wiggly wigglers and bought some expensive mealwom food (rather unecessary I would think,in hindsight!).bokashi is fine.mine also love apple,cucumber an wholemeal bread..bizarre!let me know how you go,any more detail and just drop another line..good luck!!