Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[Vikki56]

Hello everyone,

 

Just a quick question, this is the first winter I will be enchickened, our ex batt girls are looking a bit scrawny is there anything I can give them to bulk them up a bit for the winter? Usually they have ex batt pellets but I've bought some crumb to make them hot mash (& also because we are looking at getting some more rescues). Any advice muchly appreciated.

 

Vikki

[sparkysmum]

I gave my ex batts lots of carbs in the winter and even my current lot. Some people would disagree with this but they loved it and were def not scrawny. I gave them; pasta, warm mashed potato, lots of grain, warm breakfast cereal, all with warm watery yoghurt. My ex batts lived till they were 4+ years and were good layers. There is a school of thought which says "fat hens don't lay" but I'd rather have hens which are able to resist the cold, wet conditions we have here in the winter. Alli x

[Egluntyne]

I would just give them good quality layers pellets.

[The Dogmother]

I would just give them good quality layers pellets.

 

Agreed, they will have thick feathery duvets, this combined with their naturally high body temperature (105deg) means that you don't need to do anything special. Extra carbs should be avoided as their metabolism finds it hard to process them; the resulting fat stores build up inside the abdominal cavity and put pressure on their internal organs. My pure breeds get 2 handfuls of corn between them of a winter evening (as opposed to the usual one handful) they are fit, healthy and never seem to have any problems even in the coldest weather.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Just your usual pellets/mash should be fine. I rescued my first lot of ex batts in October and the second in November (different years!). Both made it through the winter just fine eating layers mash and a few handfuls of wheat.

Hot mash is okay, but won't keep them warm for long and needs to be eaten quickly or the food will sour. More trouble than it's worth in my opinion unless you have a poorly hen and are trying to tempt her to eat.