lillybettybabs Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 Organic Company Layers Pellets but i think i will order the crumbs next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosey Lucy Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 Smallholders Layers Pellets. £9.10 for a sack. Lasts just over a week so I buy 2 at a time now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 Wiggley Wigglers for me too, the girls love it and wont touch anything else, except when I go on holiday,and Gill at Mumbles farm who Hen sits for me gives them pellets..and they dont come home anorexic So obviously they are very spolit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 Mine have Allen & Paige layers pellets which we buy from our local Countrywide. The pain is that they don't sell Aubiose so we have to go to a local feed merchant for that, and they don't sell and decent branded pellets. You have to be very carefu; with expiry dates, we had some stale organic pellets early on and the girls quite rightly wouldn't touch them. We have since stuck to the A&P brand and have been more than happy, we also buy their Super Mixed Corn which the girls love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 I use the layers mash from wiggly wigglers, with bokoshi bran in it, my girls love it and won't eat pellets any more. It is probably very expensive but I order other stuff too so try not to think about it!! Yep, same here - the layers mash with bokashi from Wiggly Wigglers is their favourite. Nice to see them actually mugging me when I go out to top up the feeder - they previously used to look at me and if I wasn't carrying the mealworms they didn't want to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 I feed mine Marriages layers pellets too. Never had a problem with it and the use by date is usually a good couple of months in advance, so I can get 2 sacks. I pat £7 ish per 20kg. I also feed mine the Marriages whole wheat as a treat. £5 or so a sack. It lasts months. My local Pets at Home charges £16.99 for a 20kg sack of layers pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTree Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 I've always used Countrywide's layers pellets. i tried a sack of Pets At Home pellets once, but the girls didn't seem to like them much and a lot of it ended up on the floor. I've never had any problem with them laying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 Do you mix the mash with water or feed it dry? I wet it with their drinking water but I am never sure what to do for the best. If I feed it dry they flick it everywhere!! Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 If given ad lib mash should be fed dry If you want to wet it then the girls need feeding twice a day as wet food sours quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 Thank you for that, that was the issue I was worrying about, how quickly the food would decay once it was wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted June 7, 2010 Author Share Posted June 7, 2010 Thank you everyone, that's really informative Does anyone have an opinion (good or bad) on Dukes & Botley "Goodlay" pellets? My breeder can supply that... and I think I need to spend an afternoon ringing around my local horsey shops to find what else is out there near me!!! I didn't realise how many options there'd be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfc Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Since the sad loss of our 'top chicken', fanny, the feed doesn't seem to be going down as well, I don't see the two girls (Kimberley and Cornelia) tucking into the grub like they used to when Fanny was around. They were fed on on omlet organic food at £8 per 10kg. After reading good reviews about Garvo feeds - today I found a Garvo supplier in Foston, Derbyshire who sells Garvo feed and spent at least an hour in chicken heaven with Karen, who was brilliant, I could have stayed for the day and I don't think she would have minded! I saw most of her hundreds of fab chickens and pigs and really hope that our girls like this new mash because I can't wait to go back! It does seem cost effective for me as i was ordering 2 sacks Inc delivery at around £22, the garvo £16.15 for 20kg mash and a bag of "treat" alfa mix, which looks great. I'll keep u posted on whether they like it. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Mine are rotated between Smallholders Pellets and Garvo (pellets or mash), I find the Garvo harder to get though as the stockist near me is only open on weekdays. They don't much like Dodson & Horrel, nor Marriages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Dodson and Horrell for mine also - I find that the eggs taste better when they are on it, the yolks are a darker yellow. Chooks sem to eat it fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Does anyone order Garvo online? If so from where? I'd like to try some having read such good things about it........Sadietoo, perhaps we could combine an order? My local suppliers don't have it, though I haven't asked if they'd consider supplying it , so maybe I'll try that tack next time I'm down there.....they are a relatively new company so may not want to take on a new line just yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR666 Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 We have only had our chickens 3 weeks but have them on Dobson & Horrell layers pellets, they seem to like it and eat it with no problems, costs around £8 per 20kg and I found a pet shop in our small town that sells it, saving delivery charges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISCA Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Mine were on Garvo Alfachicks but my supply ran dry and the local stockist could not/ would not get it in. I was unable to source it in bulk for delivery. I have had to change to Dobson & Horrell Growers pellets. They did not take kindly to the change but afer a couple of days they ate it readily. They get a couple handfulls of Garvo mixed corn in the evening, well some evenings, not if it is hot weather. I would go back to Garvo if I had a regular reliable supplier but that seems unlikely currently. The company need to sort out the supply and demand problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 From what I understand, they require such a large initial order that it puts most potential stockists off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISCA Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Claret, thats what I heard too. But good news, I just checked my online supplier who has stock in again, so I have managed to put in a bulk order for some Alfachicks. That will keep them going for a while Once they have grown I may change to the Garvo layers pellets as they are easier to get hold of and are cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jac and Rory Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Spillers layers pellets - £6.50 for 20Kg - because that's what the local Russells store sells. In the morning I mix some of the pellets with hot water and bokashi bran and they love that. It's also good for adding any supplements whenever needed. I have tried mash in the past but it was too messy and too much wastage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I buy my layer pellets from Mole Valley, they're about £6.50 a 25kg bag, GM free, but they are non-organic. Mine have always been fed on them and lay fairly well on them too. They also get corn in the evenings too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 My girls have the Ex Bats Crumb. They had it from the day we rescued them and they are thriving and doing really well on it. One of the girls has recently started laying the odd softee but I think she may simply be starting to come towards the end of her egg laying career. Nothing that the odd dose of Calcivet doesn't sort out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 We nearly ran out of feed (having a hectic time lately) so I bought a bag of countrywide pellets as an emergency (happened to have a shop next to the hosp we were visiting). Got home and COULDN'T believe my eyes GREEN, PINK AND BLUE PLASTIC IN THE PELLETS! So that's the last bag of Countrywide pellets I'll buy. All bar one of my girls are gobbling it up (and quickly too - no spillage so maybe not filling??) BUT Ursula, one of my old ex-barn girls, has stopped eating it, did a green/black poo (from lack of food, I think), had an empty crop last night AND was first to bed. I'm quite cross that my girl's health could suffer from this, she seemed quite down in the dumps (but perked up with mealworms and corn as a secret, emergency supper in the Cube!). So I dashed out today and bought some Dodson & Horrell - but don't know about the hexane issue... the tack shop had SmallHolders too which mentioned hexane (can't remember what though) - but my rescued girls laid lots of softies on smallholders ex-bat Although it might just be conicidental as they've nearly finished their laying careers! Ursula is down to one a week Anyway, thought I'd let you know about the continuing plastic problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabel Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Mine are on Smallholders at the moment but as I'm in N Ireland with no local stockists it's proving a pain to get hold of them without incurring extorationate delivery charges. Does anyone use on-line retailers please so as I can phone around a few for delivery charges - would consider trying other brands also. Thanks Isabel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophiemccoy Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I have always stuck with Smallholder ex-batts crumbs, which they seem to like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
