Warm boot recommendations please

[Guest]

The day we pick the girls up is getting closer, next Sunday to be exact, still thinking of questions though!

 

Because they're ex batts then we'll be feeding them with layers mash at first but at what point do you think we should start introducing things like boiled veg peelings, bread crusts, kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s etc?

 

I imagine we should wait til they're settled but how long, a few days, a week, a month?

 

And, when we do start giving them treats/extras, how much should we give them? There will be 3 (maybe 4) hens?

 

Also, can you list things here that would be good to give them, as far as I know you can give;

 

tuna

bread

corn

mashed spuds

boiled veg peelings

pasta

 

but what else???

[Cinnamon]

Hi - you must be so excited waiting for you new hens

 

I would probably give them a week on 'plain' food before I started introducing treats, just to give them a bit of time to settle.

 

They do get all the nutrition they will need from mash or pellets, so its best to give treats just in the late afternoon, so you know they have had a good fill of proper food already.

 

the amounts I give depend on what ii am doing in the kitches.For example today they are having cooked peeling from pots,carrots & snips to feed a family of 4, betwen 10 hens (5 are Bantams), plus I will probably give them a scoop of dried corn too.

Yesterday they had a big tub of bio yogurt which was going to be thrown out, & 2 ears of sweetcorn.

I would give 3-4 hens a whole tin of sweetcorn,scattered about, or a couple of handfuls of anything else.

 

In addition to what you have listed they also love plain Bio yogurt, which is great for settling runny tums, leftover cereals,porridge, raw brocolli, carrot,Spinach,any leafy green veg or salad leaf,carrot tops, dried mealworms, banana,raisins,grapes, cooked rice, mashed potato (mine will kill for this!)

 

You mention bread - don't give them plain bread,or even plain bread crusts...it needs to be soaked,or it can swell in the crop.

A great thing to do is to whizz it in a food processor until its crumbs, then drench it with olive oil - they love that

[The Dogmother]

Aww, bless. Sounds like they'll be well looked after. Re your list, they're all fine, except to make sure that bread has been well soaked in water first; otherwise it swells up in their crop and can block it. I just don't give bread to mine.

 

I'd keep them on mash for the first week, then gradually add healthy treats like corn, tinned sweetcorn, greens and tuna with the occasional carb treat like pasta. When they start to freerange, they will pick up plenty of bugs and extra treats anyway. Just try to keep treats to the afternoon so that they get all the essential vits they need from the mash while they are really hungry in the morning.

 

You could supplement their diet with some Battles Poultry Tonic or Life guard Tonic in their water to get them into top condition.

[Guest]

thanks for the advice about bread! I didn't know you had to soak it. I make homemade granary bread and was saving the crusts in the freezer for them. So, you'd save this as a rare treat maybe?

 

 

 

They won't be free ranging as such but will have a small section of garden fenced off - see this post http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14739 so I suppose they'll pick up a few bits and pieces, worms and such.

 

 

Would you normally give extras EVERY DAY, just before bed time?

 

 

Keep the advice coming

[Egluntyne]

Don't forget to give them constant access to a pot of mixed poultry grit.

[Guest]

Don't forget to give them constant access to a pot of mixed poultry grit.

 

I've got poultry grit AND oyster grit standing by

[The Dogmother]

Bread should be ok if it is soaked. I just avoid it to be on the safe side.

 

If they don't have access to many greens, then they will need soem to supplement their diet and to give you those rich orange yolks. Try hanging up a cabbage or similar in the run where they can have fun pecking at it. You'd be surprised how quickly ex-batteries get their chicken instincts.

 

Mine get plenty around the garden, but I supplement their greens and protein in the winter when these are sp"Ooops, word censored!" naturally. I nice warming porridge is good in the evening to keep them stoked up through the night (bit like feeding our babies carbs at night to help them sleep), you can use what you have to hand in it, but popular ingredients are: mash/pellets, porridge oats, olive il, tuna, currants, sweet corn, poultry spice, garlic flakes, crushed eggshell... all mixed together with warm water

[Guest]

p.s. why do you have to boil veg peelings?

 

which veg is best cooked and which can you give raw?

[The Dogmother]

The only veg peelings I'd suggest boiling are potatoes because they're poisonous, but I put them on the wormery instead. I just give them a bowl of veg peelings to share with the bunnies - it all gets eaten by someone.

[Guest]

mash/pellets, porridge oats, olive il, tuna, currants, sweet corn, poultry spice, garlic flakes, crushed eggshell... all mixed together with warm water

 

 

sounds, erm, delicious

[The Dogmother]

Smells vile!

[chelsea]

my chooks have their treats at the moment at 6pm (an hour before bedtime) their faves are :

 

Chopped grapes

Chopped cherry tomatoes

Chopped cucumber

spinach

sweetcorn (tinned - no added salt/sugar)

sesame seeds

sunflower seeds

raisins

chopped broccoli

porridge oats

cooked boiled rice

left over mashed potato

Bio yoghurt with a light scattering of oats and raisins

 

Of course you do not have to chop your treats, but my chooks have told me they prefer them that way!!

 

im also mugged in the garden if Im eating a packet of crisps

[Guest]

this is great, keep the list going.

 

p.s. do you have to soak the raisins overnight?

[chelsea]

nope. no soaking - straight from the packet. mine like sultana's too.

[Guest]

how long would I boil spud peelings for? sorry if this is a stupid question but I don't know!

[Olly]

how long would I boil spud peelings for? sorry if this is a stupid question but I don't know!

 

There is no such thing as a stupid question on here - I don't really know either! I reckon to do mine for about fifteen mins or so, and this is one of their favourite treats.

 

I tried boiling apple peelings the other day but they wouldn't touch them!

[Guest]

how long would I boil spud peelings for? sorry if this is a stupid question but I don't know!

 

There is no such thing as a stupid question on here - I don't really know either! I reckon to do mine for about fifteen mins or so, and this is one of their favourite treats.

 

I tried boiling apple peelings the other day but they wouldn't touch them!

 

thanks, I'll just bung them in with the potatoes at the same time then. Maybe they'd like the apple peelings uncooked do you think?

[Chicken Licken]

nope - mine won't touch apple or pear. They go beserk for a spoonful of my muesli inthe morning. Most days I spoil them with porrige with natural yoghurt and raisins and poultry spice now and then. I mix them pellets, grain and bokashi in the grub.

I thoroughly recommend Bokashi because it reduces the smell and quantity of poo and makes it much better for composting too. Mine also love spinach ans swiss chard (both of which grow on the allotment)