The Dogmother Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 *Ahem* I think that my friend Prudence is needed back here on the forum We need a little clarification here.... the DEFRA regulations, and here (and sheer common sense) are that you may not feed your birds kitchen scraps, which includes any animal by-products; this is primarily to avoid any cross-species spread of disease, but also for the health and welfare of your birds. They originate from forests, so are used to feeding on grains, seeds, leaves, small bugs, worms and small mammals. There is no place in their diet for processed human foods containing fats, sugar and salt - they just cannot process this stuff and salt and sugar can build up to alarming levels in their bodies, as was illustrated by a bloke who came on one of my advanced courtesy because he couldn't; work out why his birds were all dying... he was feeding them mashed potato, pasta and marmite on toast, "because they like it"!!!!! Layers feed may seem boring to us, but it contains all the nutrients that they need to stay healthy, and just a few dark green leaves at the end of the day, when it's winter and they are scarce in the garden suits them just fine and keeps your flock healthy. And there endeth the sermon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky78 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I'm looking at getting Bantams. What food is best for them? Do they need grit and oysters shells? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 Same as for full-sized hens, and yes they do need a pot of mixed grit to feed from. Bantams are just smaller sized chickens, although my builder remains adamant that they are a different type of bird entirely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky78 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 Hi Pru Welcome back! Nice to see you again! The 'treat' that our girls seemed to love the most was....an apple! They'd 'kick' it around before pecking merrilly away! Also aforementioned mango stone provided much fun and lovely yolks. Sprouts were popular too but didn't keep the girls away from my garden where they managed to sample just about everything apart from the roses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
