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

[chickenopolis]

I have been feeding our ladies the "complete" food from Omlet, but as the cost for delivery is quite high I have now tried to mix in some layers pellets.

Not sure if they are liking this, so today I mixed some pellets and probiotic yoghurt together and it forms a sort of sold clump, which they woofed down.

 

I am not going to mix the pellets with yoghurt everyday, but can I mix the pelletts with water and, in the hope that they eat this, is that OK?

 

I am a soft touch and I suppose they get more than their fair share of chicken treats (such as grapes, lettuce, strawberries and corn), but I need to make sure that they are getting the right food at the start of the day before the long forage and feed takes place when they free-range.

 

Thanks.

 

Sarah x

[Redwing]

You can mix the pellets with water but this goes sour quite quickly so change it every day

 

Its a faff though so try some tough love and leave some dry pellets in the pen, they will cave in and start eating them!

[chickenopolis]

Thanks for the advice - much appreciated.

 

It's so difficult to know what to do - they are cheeky things that just cause nothing but worry, but I can't imagine life without them.

[sjp]

mix the pelletts in with the other feed until until the old feed is used up

the way i do it is empty the last of the older feed into an empty feed bag then put the new feed in to the feed bin then empty the older feed on top then give it a lttle mix just so the new feed is just in the old then us as it comes mixing it up as you use it they never know there's two types in the mix

[chickenNutter]

I am new to all this and have three young girls, a Welsummer and 2 bantams all about 20 - 22 weeks so not laying yet. I am feeding them on mixed corn as I could not get hold of growers pellets where I am. Am I doing right? Or are they likely to turn their beaks up at layers pellets once they start laying. And when do I start with the layers pellets? Do I need to wait until after they have all started laying, or start phasing them in around the time they should be laying. And when exactly is that - several books or websites contradict each other, even about the same breed! I'm confused!

 

Also, veggies. I know potato peelings need to be cooked, but what about other veg, especially corn on the cob, cooked or raw? I presumed greens would be raw, but what about everything else? Tried them with cabbage and they looked at me like I was daft. It went completely untouched. Are they faddy? Or should I have lightly sauted it and served is slightly seasoned au gratin or something?

 

My OH has already branded them 'lawless' particularly when Ruby, the Welsummer snatched a sandwich out of his hand and belted off down the garden with it. He claims that they have got away from me. He is now calling them 'the Nuggets'.

 

I think he is right, I can deny them nothing. I'm besotted.

[tom123]

Chickennutter, they need to be on layers pellets now so try and get hold of some and feed them pellets all the time and chuck them a handful of corn each evening to scratch around for

 

Tom

[chickenNutter]

Thanks Tom, the woman in the pet suppliers who has chickens herself told me not to put them on layers pellets until they were laying as it could be harmful! It is very confusing! But I will give it a go now.

 

Cheers

[sjp]

chickenNutter corn on the cob freash cooked or frozen mine scoff it on no time at all

my hybrid girls whouldn't touch cabbage until i got the youngsters now its a race between the two flocks to see who can finnish they're half first

[chickenNutter]

Thanks SJP

 

I will persevere with the cabbage then, I had read it was a good thing to hang up a whole one to keep them occupied when they are locked up. Not tried sweetcorn yet, but will now I know how to serve it. They weren't impressed with grapes either.

[laurmurf]

hi ChickenNutter, your chook supplier probably meant not to feed layers pellets until they were POL but to feed growers pellets before that. By 20 weeks though, they're fine on layers pellets. Having been fed on mixed corn up til now they may turn their beaks up at first though!

[Hen Watch]

I am not going to mix the pellets with yoghurt everyday, but can I mix the pelletts with water and, in the hope that they eat this, is that OK?

 

Sarah, my lot went through a phase just like yours. They just stopped eating pellets. I started adding warm water to make a sludge and they wolfed it down. I got fed up of doing this daily and wanted them back on pellets to make life easier for my chicken sitter when I went away. So I bought a bag of layers mash. They loved that, but I soon got fed up with it when they flicked it everywhere.

 

To cut a long story short, I just went back to pellets, cut out all treats and treated them like they were naughty children. No more treat food untill they started eating pellets again, which they did. Now, it may have been my 'cold turkey approach' or perhaps they just re-discovered pellets after a spell of mash. I'll never know.

[chickenopolis]

Thanks for your reply - I may have to try a bit of tough love with them.