Keeping Chickens - Page 3

Sotongeoff

Going to sound really dull now.....well I am really when it comes to chickens and gardening but, I am trying I,m not too sure how old my girlies are. I think that 16 weeks was mentioned when I ordered them but can't be sure! ...and when you say corn, is that dried or tinned???? please don't laugh

That sounds about right they are not usually sold before then -how long have you had them?

They tend to go off laying as the hours of daylight decrease so you are entering the optimum time.

It is dried corn- not sweet corn -the seed mixture you mentioned probably contains that-you can buy big bags of it like the layer pellets-it warms them up for the night,that is why I say late in the day.

There are never dull questions-ask as many things as you want

Loz

This is the corn-you can get it in lots of places -does not have to be this make

http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/Poultry/Mixed-Corn.aspx

Hi Loz.  I use large stainless bowls for my girls as they are easier to clean out and they rarely knock them over.  I just use smallholder layers pellets and give them some mixed corn in the evening .  I dont tend to give them bread as I've heard it can cause problems - cant remember what exactly - impacted crop?  I'm sure they'll start laying soon as the days are getting longer and warmer.

Hello Loz, I feed the same as ChristyRose and, occasionally, if we have a little bit spare, they get cooked pasta with the evening corn. The daily layers pellets go in coop cups left over from my aviary; these are fixed at ab

Excuse strange layout, the picture wouldn't go where I wanted it.

Hi Loz, welcome to the land of chicken keepers , I love mine- had them for a year now, 2 golden line, 1 black sussex and 1 bronze sussex. They will start to lay at about 20 weeks old, Like the others, I feed mine layers, they always have access to this, they use to knock the top off as well so I got an old metal shelf bracket which we attached to the side of the run and I hand the feeder up on that so the feeder tray is just at their head height.  water and grit I use the same bowls as above and also a rabbit water bottle.  They have the same mixed corn as well - they are given this late pm alone with any thing left from dinner ( not meat ) you must never give them raw potatoes put they love them cooked and any left over veg cooked or raw.  They love a cauli when I have cut out the flower for us they get the leaves. 

One last thing - they love tinned kidney beans and sweet corn ( this makes their yolks yellow ), but remember they are very fattening and must only be used as a treat,

Katiejane

I bought some of these a year or so back to put the grit in and some extra water-they can't mess in them!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/POULTRY-CHICKEN-D-CUP-DRINKERS-FEEDERS-X-5-/120903200768?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item1c26647000

Hi Loz

I think the reason we shouldn't give our chooks bread is because it contains salt and salt should always be avoided.

However, I didn't know about the potato being bad for them - why is that KatieJane? Can it give them worms - or is it an 'old wives tale'? I gave my girls some potato peelings for the first time yesterday, now I'm feeling v guilty..... hope they'll be ok!

Potato peelings will be good for them so long as they are cooked first.

The thing about feeding scraps is that the food is not balanced and up thread most people seem to be giving their chickens starchy foods such as pasta, rice, bread and potatoes; this will make fat chickens not improve their laying.

Find a suitable scoop and weigh out the amount of commercial food the chickens should be having and translate it to number of scoops and feed just that. No more, or you are just wasting money.  And over-feeding the chickens.

Ensure that they eat every scrap of food before they go to roost or you will just attract rats if there is food lying about at night.

I do agree that you should take the feeders away at night but as for measuring out the optimum amount of food that is not practical-how do you judge the figure?

What about the pecking order- some would go without?-as long as the feeder is available at all times they will be ok-it is the protein levels that need to be raised for egg production- the layer pellets do that.

It works for me in addition to the corn later in the day.

Off to treat all my lot with vaseline and tee tree oil to keep scale mite away. The wild birds bring all sorts of bugs and deseases in.

backyardee wrote (see)

Off to treat all my lot with vaseline and tee tree oil to keep scale mite away. The wild birds bring all sorts of bugs and deseases in.

I quite agree, backyardee (the wild birds bring all sorts of bugs and diseases in) I mean....this is why I keep my chicken's run area netted.

I've done this since the avian flu outbreak.

Sotoneoff, you look it up.  It will depend on the weight, age and type of chickens you have, and state of lay.  Do you imagine that any commercial farm animal is just fed ad lib?  It is best practice to have as many feeders or length of feeding space (with a bit left over) for every chicken to get enough to eat.

I have 6 chickens the feeder is put in the coop in the morning and taken out at night-they eat what they want/need.

Mine get a set amount every morning, that I check about half hour after feeding them. If there's any left that gets collected up and placed elsewhere for the wild birds. Not that that happens very often.

David K wrote (see)

I quite agree, backyardee (the wild birds bring all sorts of bugs and diseases in) I mean....this is why I keep my chicken's run area netted.

I've done this since the avian flu outbreak.

Can't net my runs, as they are too big, and from Oct til mar, they get the run of the plot. They love scratching about in the woods or my back yard.

backyardee wrote (see)

Mine get a set amount every morning, that I check about half hour after feeding them. If there's any left that gets collected up and placed elsewhere for the wild birds. Not that that happens very often.

David K wrote (see)

I quite agree, backyardee (the wild birds bring all sorts of bugs and diseases in) I mean....this is why I keep my chicken's run area netted.

I've done this since the avian flu outbreak.

Can't net my runs, as they are too big, and from Oct til mar, they get the run of the plot. They love scratching about in the woods or my back yard.

I understand, I used heavy duty fish pond netting. This can be bought in a 4mx4m pre pack, or some companies sell it cut to your own requirements.

thanks for that David, but my main chicken run is about 50' x 30' and I wouldn't be able to convince the OH that it would be money well spent.

backyardee wrote (see)

thanks for that David, but my main chicken run is about 50' x 30' and I wouldn't be able to convince the OH that it would be money well spent.

Quite right, backyarddee. Not a good idea over such a large area and I would imagine supporting it to avoid excessive sagging would be difficult.

this has nothing to do with your question but im about to get a chicken coop and run .    what do you advuse for the floor of run ??