Chickens not obeying the rules from defra

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JackieBu

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Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« on: November 24, 2013, 09:43 »
We often have our kitchen door open (yes even at this time of year as it is warmer out than in!). Yesterday we caught Poppy eating the dog food. It is a quality wet food type that has meat and vegetables in it (Lily's kitchen) and left the biscuits (just like the dogs). I know this shouldn't be encouraged and the bowl should be picked up, but has anyone else experienced this? I was surprised that she was on the skinny size, not like a supermarket bird anyway  ;),  when I picked her up and kept on returning to the bowl after being kicked out. They have recently been wormed (3weeks ago). They have access to ample layers pellets/grit/shell and they free range a large garden. I wondered if she has starved herself out of protest as the worming powder was mixed with live mealworms to help ensure they got their dose and as you can imagine they loved it. They get mixed corn but I've noticed that isn't gobbled up. We are wanting to expand our flock, 4 ex bats at the mo. Would the competition be a good thing or not? And is this a bad time of the year to expand it?

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2013, 13:37 »
If she is a hybrid laying hen, then she will be skinny.  The birds you can get in supermarkets are bred for meat, bearing in mind they are only about 39 days old when culled, but layers are bred to lay eggs so don't put meat on.

Depending on the breed, she should weigh between 1.75 and 2kgs

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tosca100

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2013, 15:55 »
In the UK our's were partial to trying the dog food....while the dogs were eating it! We soon learned to make sure the door was shut when feeding time, good job the dogs are good natured. They used to sit on the step tapping on the door as they ate.

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grinling

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2013, 19:16 »
is she going for a moult. some people give dog food for extra protein to speed them up.

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pepsi100

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2013, 23:17 »
I buy a crate of cauliflowers and cabbages, even though they have them hangig in the run, they insuist on coming in to the consevatory and peck at the ones in the crate, they are no different from the ones in their run, so why do they want these others ?

I have read the rules to them, but they still insist on coming in

We have caught them sitting in the conservatory, one even laid an egg in there

I am glad we dont have a dog, I think the poor * would go hungry, my chooks seem to prefer any other food apart from what is in the hen house or run, including the pellets we store in the conservatory

Does loose pellets taste any better than the ones in a food hopper ?

Does a puddle taste better than the fresh water we give them ?
It's all about the journey, not the destination

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madcat

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2013, 08:42 »
Does a puddle taste better than the fresh water we give them ?

I don't know about chickens, but definitely the puddle is best for cats!   ::)
All we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about (Charles Kingsley)

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Sassy

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2013, 10:05 »
is she going for a moult. some people give dog food for extra protein to speed them up.

Cat food is better as it is higher in nutrients. :)
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted!!

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pepsi100

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2013, 10:12 »
I dont have a cat or dog  ;) I do have a squirel that drops over every day though, he buries his nuts, the hens then dig them up, I seem to be topping up the peanuts every day now  >:(

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JackieBu

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Re: Chickens not obeying the rules from defra
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2013, 12:19 »

Does a puddle taste better than the fresh water we give them ?
[/quote]

Better for dogs too!

Interesting about giving them dog food through moult. They peck at the door to come in too. If we open the door to check on the dogs, the chickens come running. So comical. :)



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