[cool chick]

Hi, i am in need of some advice as a novice to the chicken world. I am getting 3 ex bats on Sat  27 Sept. I understand the best feed at the beginning is Layers Mash, as this is what they are used to. I have also seen mixed poultry corn and wondered if that is worth buying in the future or not. They will have a fairly big run, is it beneficial to them if i scatter corn in the run for them to find. They will have a feeder aswell.  :?:

[Kate and her Ducks]

Welcome to the Hen House!

I'm sure there will be loads of good advice coming up  

[raeburg]

Hiya

my ex-batts started on mash, then mixed it with layers pellets and now their main food is the pellets.  They get a small amount of corn late afternoon/early evening and green stuff whilst they are out.  Oh and they dig up as many worms as they want.  Mash and pellets are the same feed but in different forms and gives them a correct balance of nutrients they need for egg production.  

Mine have just started to all lay nearly 2 months after rescue.  They have been putting a lot of energy into refeathering and adjusting to a non-caged existence.

Good luck and enjoy your girls.

Oh yes, chickens are addictive

[Bodger]

Nobody can argue with the fact that battery hens have a terrible life and are treated as machines, but it must be pointed out that even free range chickens are pretty warn out and pale looking come the end of a heavy laying season, and that all chickens look pretty awful when they are approaching and going through moult.

[georgewoodman]

Hi and welcome cool chick

When I got my ex batts I fed them on layers pellets well mixed with water and olive oil and they loved it.   I gradually used less water and oil until they went on to dry pellets with no bother.   Since then I have been adding mixed corn to the pellets in the hope that they will slow down on the laying and give themselves a break.....hasn't happened yet.    :?
I also found that they were badly in need of grit and oyster shell for the first few weeks.

Hope you get as much joy from yours as I get from mine

Good luck

George

[WoodyK]

Welcome Cool Chick and good luck with the ex batts

I'm new to this too and have found this forum to be full of very kind and knowledgable people always ready to help, advise and support.

I've had my ex batts for 2 months now and i have just started mixing pellets with their mash. As others have said it's the same stuff but less messy.

Following the advice on here i also make sure they always have some grit available and i add some limestone flour to the mash as one of the girls still lays soft shelled eggs.

They go mad for meal worms too.

Enjoy your girls and get used to 'wasting time' watching them ;-)