Warm boot recommendations please

[BeckyBoo]

hello again, our chooks are lovely, running round the garden eating slugs, bugs and plants ( ) laying plenty of but they are hardly touching their pellets. How do you get yours to eat their pellets when they free range? Even before they came out ours hardly touched them. I starved them once for two days - was very strict - no treats, then they ate some, but they really don't want them. I wouldn't have to fill the grub once a week and we've got 7 hens, the only reason I do is to "freshen" it up a bit. I tried adding poultry spice but ours are obviously not spicy chickens. Only that I worry about their general state of health as once they're out I have no idea how much they're really eating. I mean I know they've eaten a geranium and all the forget me nots in the right hand flower bed, but proper food?

Should I consider mash instead of pellets, or making it into prridge which I've read some of you do - how do you do that then? Can't imagine it's full cream milk and honey like my 3 have!

 

Mrs Bertie

[Sarah 2]

I'm no expert. But mine seemded to eat hardly any pellets. But now they're all in lay they do seem to go down quite quickly.

 

Do you feed them the same as the breeder did?

 

I think with porridge you're supposed to make it with water. No sugar or milk.

[chelsea]

we have a "pellet policy" in this house set rule is absolutely NO treats before 4pm.

 

We've stuck by it,....girls have stuck by it....no problems here !!

 

maybe try to start off with hiding some small treats in with the pellets and mixing it up - just to start the girls off (we do this with the dog when she goes off her food ) and then once they've got to eating them again just go back to basic pellets.

[Fryer Cluck]

Your hens sound like mine. All four were not really interested in the pellets as they began to lay on a regulat basis they have begun to eat more. Mine have a regular regime. They are out of the cube and have a 5 sq metre grass run from 6am until around 2pm and only have pellets/grit and what they find in the grass. From 2pm til around 7ish they have free range of entire garden and occasional mixed corn/sweet corn/maggot filled garden peas and broad beans. I have to hide when podding peas and beans! In truth they live the life of Riley. They seem very happy and I am not going to worry about it but I did expect in the early days that they would eat far more.javascript:emoticon(':)')

[chocchick]

Mine hate pellets, I've tried 3 brands. They will eat them if you mash them up with water, but just scattered the whole pellets on the floor. I've gone back to mash and they are more enthusiastic, and although they spread that over the floor they peck it up as well.

[ali-s]

Mine won't eat pellets either, so they now have mash. I put a plastic tray underneath the grub to catch any spilt food. The grub is taken away about an hour before they go to roost and if they are hungry they eat the mash out of the tray.

 

No treats before 5pm and no corn at all except in Winter. If they are free ranging in the garden I do not hang any greens in the run.

 

I sound like a very strict chicken keeper However saturday and sunday I am feeding them treats all day long

[Hilly]

Hi ya, mine dont eat pellets either!, much happier with what they find in the garden and bird food!!. .Mind you, im a bit of a soft touch with mealworm treats

[Milly]

I have been wondering exactly the same thing. Mine were omlet chickens (the first two anyway) and came with a sack of pellets. But I think they (the pellets) are going to last forever. I have tried mixing them with corn, but they pick out the corn and the pellets only get eaten as a last resort. But at least I know they are eating corn (which is really mixed grain so must be doing some good). They don't get treats til we get home from work (about 5pm on a good day).

 

But we have only just started getting eggs, so maybe once they have settled down to laying they will eat them?

 

Milly

[Gallina]

Mine get through pellets so fast I now get two sacks delivered at a time for six hens. I don't throw any away: they hoover the lot up.

 

They are, however, kept in the run all day and don't get anything else until they are let out in the late afternoon, when they graze my grass for me (I haven't had to cut it at all this year, which is a bonus). Treats are only very occasional, and I don't give them stuff like bread.

 

But I can't see how you could get hens who free-range to eat their pellets in the same way as confined hens. Mine don't touch theirs either when they are let out. It would be interesting to know what free-range commercial hens eat.

[Egluntyne]

Mine get through pellets so fast I now get two sacks delivered at a time for six hens. I don't throw any away: they hoover the lot up.

 

Ditto although I have 8 hens.

 

Mine weren't enthusiastic about the Omlet pellets. As soon as I changed them to Golden Yolk Layers Pellets there was no holding them back!

 

Chocchick.....are you going to the Chatsworth meet?

I've got a sack of mash that someone insisted on giving me. It would have been rude to say no, but I don't need it. You can have it with pleasure.

[chocolatefudge]

I say Gallina, could you please send your girls round to do my lawn. It's quite large it would keep them busy for ages. I've only got two girls on grass at moment as Pepperpot is sectioned off with her chicks.

 

I keep my girls in for a while in the morning, that way they eat more pellets, otherwise they just make a run for it and fill up on grass etc.. if I just let them straight out.

 

I definately agree with those people that leave treats until late afternoon, definately a good idea. We're strictly pellets and lawn until tea time.

[chocolatefudge]

Just one other question while I think about it.

 

For anyone that doesn't know, Pepperpot became a mum two weeks ago after sitting on some Cream Legbars ( Pics coming eventually!).

 

I need to worm her, she has Verm-x usually. Trouble is even if I hand feed her at the moment she insists on giving it all to the chicks.

 

Any ideas