Guest Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 i give my 4 girls half a soaked granary crust mushed up with a small banana and about a dozen grapes chopped up very small (I use scissors to chop them up into very small pieces) then I mix it all together. It fills 3 coop cups which are 7.5cm in diameter. They get up at about 7.15am and eat their mash and then i give them a treat at about 10am just to keep them warm and because they like it then they eat mash til about 5pmish when they get 2-3 handfuls of sweetcorn before bed. Only 3 of them seem to like their morning treat, Mariana tends to not bother but she will eat the sweetcorn at night. Am I giving them too much or is this okay? I'd hate to be doing any damage to them by overfeeding them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 It's more than we give ours - but thats not to say that its too much. are they laying ? we find that if we give ours too many goodies we dont get as many eggs the following day. if they are happy hens - I wouldnt worry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I give my girls lot's of treats too and it doesn't seem to affect their laying most of the time but being honest-even if they didn't lay everyday I wouldn't mind and I can't help thinking that having a few days off could possibly prolong their lives so I will keep giving them their bits and bobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I think it depends on what you want from your hens. If you want them to be laying machines, then the received wisdom is to only give them mash o pellets until mid afternoons, and then just a few treats. If you are not bothered, give them treats as you please. The thing about mash and pellets is that they are supposed to provide optimal nutrition for egg laying. Doesn't seem to stop problems with soft eggs etc though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 the egg production varies from 4 a day, to 3, sometimes 2 then back to 3 then back to 4- it's very random! It's plenty for us 2 though. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to cause any crop problems etc- they do still tuck into their mash for the rest of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I read that chickens dont eat more than they need, so only get over weight if not getting exercise. You might find this website usefull, it also has a print out food record log that you can keep, so you can see how much of the important stuff your girls are getting http://www.lionsgrip.com/feedinstruc.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Interesting article, Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickaboo Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 How many treats mine get depends on what i'm doing during the day i.e if i'm around. Which brings me to a question, now that the clocks have gone back, and 4 days per week the girls will be in bed before I get home can they have their treats in the morning - its just that I thought they could only have treats in the afternoon, so they fill up on their proper food. But is this not necessarily the case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 i suppose that if they fill up on treats in the morning, then they won't eat their pellets/mash during the day. I do notice that if i give them lots of treats, the egg numbers drop. They get a bowl of pellet mash with treats most nights, but this is mainly pellets and water so they are still getting their 'rations'. I hang up some spinach/chard at lunchtime of i am around too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 i I do notice that if i give them lots of treats, the egg numbers drop. Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 For example, i was in the garden yesterday, doing a bit of tidying up in the veggie area and they kept looking at me with those sad eyes! They got several handfuls of corn, mealworms and spinach and today i got 1 egg, a softie, laid in the poop tray!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I've got the same problem, Chickaboo - not only am I not home in time to give treats in the evening, but they will not get any free-ranging during the week now. I understood that if they can't get out, it's important for them to have some greens, so I am feeding some green stuff (lettuce, spinach, horseradish leaves which they love!) in the mornings anyway. They still seem to eat quite a lot, I'm resigned to egg production dropping as they days are shorter. I had a dental appointment tonight and got home early, so they could have half an hour in the dusk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TESSANN Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hi there, I mostly give treats when I want them to go into their run when I am going out etc. They free range when I am at home, but then go in their run when I go out. I dont have a problem with them coming when I call them as they think I have treats !! Best wishes Rosemary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 hiya, we seem to have drifted off the question, do you mind if i drag it back on track- i still would like to know if i'm giving them too much- i'm not too bothered about egg production, i'm more worried of causing them harm- impacted crop, sour crop, overfeeding etc. could someone just let me know if they think what i'm giving them is okay?> thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 The answers are here on Omlett! http://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/guide.php?view=Chickens&cat=Chicken%20Care&sub=feeding 'Chickens are not greedy, they will only eat as much as they need so you don't worry about over-feeding.' 'Whilst the main course should be kept constant to ensure that the hens are ingesting a balanced ' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 It's all personal choice really Poet - I'd cut out the morning treats and only give them in the afternoon. make sure that any bread you give is either toasted or soaked thoroughly in water first. Mine get a sprinkling of chock crumbs - lots of protein and exercise to scratch it up - in the morning, then a little bit more at lunchtime, and a handful of corn the oget them into the run before dark. In between they eat their pellets and forage in the garden. They get other treats like veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s in the afternoon only and then only if they're available. On very cold mornings, they get some warm porridge, which is mostly layers pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol U Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 On the two occasions when I've given more treats than usual, I've had soft shelled eggs next day, so assume there's a connection. Don't know how bad for the hens soft shelled eggs are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 It does make them feel a bit out of sorts Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Don't know how bad for the hens soft shelled eggs are. My new Coral looked rather unhappy before she laid a softie on the second day we had her. I mentioned it to the chap at the poultry centre and he said it was because their uterus (or hen equivalent!) is trying to push the egg out but because it's soft there's nothing to push against. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 'Chickens are not greedy, they will only eat as much as they need so you don't worry about over-feeding.' Our Mabel is very greedy when it comes to porridge. I made her a bit more than normal the other day, she pushed Luci out of the way and ate the lot! Her crop was huge, but really soft and swung around as she ran about! I give mine porridge in the morning as with the shorter days they are in bed when I get in. The layers pellets seem to get eaten as it always goes down and eggs are only slightly fewer than in the summer but that could be the shorter days as much as anything. I guess that too many treats would be when they are not eating their pellets at all as they have lots of nutirents in?? flo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 thanks for all your advice, i'll read those links when I'm feeling better- a bit poorly at the moment, possibly brought on by worrying about my babies, pathetic I am! in the meantime, we've decided to restrict treats to the ones in the afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I've just had a quick flick through my Practical Poultry mag, which arrived today, and there's an article on mixing your own feed. It gives some interesting advice and you might find it helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 thanks, will try and get hold of a copy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
