chicken food

[thundercrack]

hi
how much grain or layers mash in weight does a hen require to sustain her for egg laying. I know the egg producers have got it down to the grain, but my hens seem to want food all the time, totally demented. rush out of the box in the morning, and dig and scratch the soil up like theres no tomorrow. eat all day, and still try to get to the grass through the wire. nice eggs though.
cheers.
alf.

[jules77]

I have never kept chickens, although my friend does, all I know is that the egg yolks are very very yellow (make fantastic omlettes, and the dogs love them scrambled), almost look as if they have been dyed, and they eat all manner of kitchen waste including their grain, or whatever they have to have.

Hope this link helps.

http://poultryone.com/articles/feedinghens.htm l

[wildwood]

Mash should be available all the time in one of those hopper feeders. Make sure there is always fresh water available. Grains such as wheat is best fed as an additional food, about one eggcupfull per bird. All their need is contained in the mash, but if you feed too much other stuff it 'dilutes' their balanced food intake. Saying that, I firmly believe that a little bit of greenfood daily is beneficial in that it makes the hens very happy and a happy hen lays better.

My old grandfather was a devout believer in happy hens. When he retired one of his daily rituals was to put a spadefull of soil out of the garden in the run. The chooks soon learned and went silly as soon as they saw him with a spade. They spend a long time scratching in the soil and picking at gawd knows what. There couldn't have been much in the way of insects but they were happy. As an additional benefit the wheelbarrow of top scrapings from the run every fortnight went on a heap and made excellent top soil the next year.

[slinkycat]

Hi Alf
Got my first ever chickens last weekend:-) so obviously I'm still a learner, but I did read that they'll only take as much mash as they need. Mine too spend all day scratching, and they went mental today when I gave them some dandelion leaves! Can't wait for the first egg!

[amonty1144]

My neighbours have a lovely hen house with curtains and the chooks get fresh porridge every morning. It seems to work as they get loads of eggs.
My hens got corn everyday and veg scraps...don't give them bread it can cause an obstruction in the throat which if it becomes infected can kill them.
Fresh water all the time.
I'm waiting for my new hens as the fox got mine.

also make sure you put oyster shell in as well or the shells become soft.

[kaztuz]

Our two bantams have pellets available all the time and have a handful of corn a day and greens regularly. They also munch on grass and the odd worm which they love. They also need grit available.

They are laying daily most of the time and the eggs are lovely. They do go off laying when it is dark nights and mornings though.

[thundercrack]

hi wildwood,
strange you should say about the spade bit. the first chicken we adopted ( it walked down my daughters driveway from no where ) goes berserk when you pick up a spade, so I throw a few spade fuls of soil into her run each day and she goes at it like its her last meal, digging in to it and grabbing worms and anything she can eat. she must have been someones pet because she likes being talked to,and picked up and stroked. and she lays eggs, so what a pet.!!! better than a dog, having to pick up poo, or a cat, ignoring you until feed time. got some more coming, rescued from a battery farm ( finished their laying days, ready to be incinerated ) they will lay a few eggs a week, and have a happy home, so we all win.
alf.

[slinkycat]

Is that true of brown bread too amonty? I was under the impression that it was ok to give them brown. The omlet website even suggests marmite on toast! I've read such conflicting advice on different sites its keeping me awake!

[amonty1144]

Defintiely no bread of any description, it compacts in the crop.
for beginners, this is an excellent and comphrehensive book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Book-Raising- Livestock-Poultry/dp/0330301586/ref=sr_1_1?ie= UTF8&s=books&qid=1207258220&sr=8-1

[amonty1144]

Sorry, you can feed bread if it is soake(water or milk), I meant to say dry bread but the red wine had kicked in.

[slinkycat]

Ta for that amonty, Alf apologies for hijacking your thread with a question of my own!
I think the most down to earth website I've come across with advice on hen keeping is www.downthelane.co.uk (think thats the right address) well worth a look