[grumpydad]

is it normal for hens that are stopping laying for the winter to also stop eating layers pellets ?
they free range all day, and all go to bed with a full crop, but are not eating many, if any layers pellets, must be the warm porrige in the morning.

second question, if i put the new ones in with the older ones, as the new ones still eat growers, will it do the older hens any harm to eat growers pellets for a few weeks, now they have stopped laying ?

[Caralou]

Have you tried a porridge mixed in with layers mash and a bit of poultry spice? It's what I'm giving mine late mornings so they get all the vitamins etc they need and the warmth of the porridge.

[grumpydad]

have tried layers mixed with porrige and hot water, not that keen, even with poultry spice.
fussy chucks.

[treacleminer]

If you're going to give 'real' porridge, give it in the afternoons as a treat instead of corn, that way they won't fill up on it instead of their layers.  Personally, if I feel they need a treat of something warm of a morning, I mix the layers pellets with hot water & they seem happy with that.
Before you start feeding growers pellets again, check that isn't medicated.  The medicated one I have for my 61/2 week old chicks says on the pack don't feed to intended layers after 16 weeks - I think it can affect the eggs?

[iwantanallotment]

I go along with Treacleminer.

Mine get fed up of the same old layers pellets day after day, so on alternate days I feed them warm layers mash. They can't get it down them quickly enough after a day without. But pellets are left down always anyway.

Porridge I think would be too much of a filler? Not much room for owt else after porridge, and not enough nutritional value by itself for a layer.

As per the Growers, how old are they? 12 weeks and over I'd get them onto Layers, too. Growers feed often has anti-cocc meds in it, which renders any eggs inedible. My youngest are 12 weeks old and now fully weaned off Growers and doing fab on layer's mash & pellets, with greens mid afternoon and corn an hour before bed. Same as the older ones. If you're putting them all in together, they should really all be on the same food - otherwise your layers will eat the Growers (it's nicer!) and make their eggs inedible too, should any lay.

[karlooben]

mine dont like the layers pellets on thier own but add warm water to it on cold mornings or cold water when the weather is good an the bowl is empty within an hour 

[grumpydad]

many thanks.
only about a weeks supply of organic growers left, so i will integrate in a couple of days.

they dont like the weather today, bit wet and windy, the big girls are ok, as their run is covered, but the little ones are a bit wet, their run is not quite as waterproof, half a waterproof roof.

[goosebusters75]

Ours enjoy a porriage made with layers pellets and warm water, sometimes they have a bit of hunny and fruit in also.