[Nome]

About three weeks ago my girls spent two days when I had run out of thier usual feed living on cornflakes and a bit of rice, I dont drive so had to wait for my Dad to get them new food at the weekend. They were fine but are now refusing to eat thier corn/layers pellets. I've tried putting it in the usual place and tried sprinkling it on the ground they look at me like I'm stupid and ignore the food prefering to go off and peck in the grass.
 
Then a couple of days ago one of the girls died of some respiritory type illness. I'm worried that this was as a result of poor diet, the other girls look healthy and they all eat plenty of greens, I have heard of chickens that free range to the point of sustaining themselves from the land but I only have an average size garden half of which is given over to gravel.

I am a a loss as to what I should do and am frightened for the health of my remaining three girls so any opinion is welcome.

TIA

Naomi

[muntjac]

cornflakes? probably not a diet that would help with so called vitamins etc  but the respitory disease i woudnt think would come from them . they will eat it when they get hungry so worry not ..not aimed at you naomi but all .. chickens eat HARD seeds for a reason with grit and oestra in thier diet  wild birds find this grit as well as the calcium naturally in the fields  i fed my old birds on crushed cockle shells many years ago when i had access to a golf course that used them as pathways  .now we feed them in the form of oestra ,because chickens are NOT wild birds /seed pellets such as layers are fine, but feed them some corn or barley /maize as well as this helps them digest thier food . a chickens gizzard contains about 10 small pieces of grit to crush and grind this up . the oestra is also ground up at this point . TO MUCH  of any treat other than natural stuff be it boiled rice or in some cases dog biscuits is of no good at all it upsets the chucks natural body actions .
 icidently i only discovered from aggy hat chucks wil eat nettles yesterday i had never fed them or allowed them to grow in my pens  :shock: so yeh im still learning.im just not doing the picking

[compostqueen]

my birds have not been eating much in the way of layers pellets this week as they are enjoying my lawn and all the dandelions etc in it, plus there will be worms etc for them to eat.  They have grit available and I broad cast mixed corn once a day plus they get fresh greens, usually cabbage or cauli, and sow thistle, groundsel etc.  They have the layers pellets there though all the time and they were attacking it this morning I noticed when they were let out  
 
They need good food or how else will they produce those lovely eggs  

[poultrygeist]

CHICKENS EAT NETTLES  :?:  :?:  :?:  :shock:

Stand back while I grab me gloves !!!!!  

Rob  

[muntjac]

my birds have not been eating much in the way of layers pellets this week as they are enjoying my lawn and all the dandelions etc in it, plus there will be worms etc for them to eat.  They have grit available and I broad cast mixed corn once a day plus they get fresh greens, usually cabbage or cauli, and sow thistle, groundsel etc.  They have the layers pellets there though all the time and they were attacking it this morning I noticed when they were let out  
 
They need good food or how else will they produce those lovely eggs  

 eggsactly

[poultrygeist]

Is it ok to chuck in a huge pile of mixed annual weeds and just leave to sort out good from bad or are there a few that'll do them no good ??

I tend to either compost or, if they've gone to seed, take them down the tip, which is wasteful if the chooks can enjoy them.

Rob  

[muntjac]

the chucks will taste and discard the rubbish but id think carefuly about what i threw in thier pen

[poultrygeist]

Nuff said.  I don't know many weeds by name and don't wanna poison them.

Plan A back in action.

Rob

[mumsy]

CHICKENS EAT NETTLES  :?:  :?:  :?:  :shock:

Stand back while I grab me gloves !!!!!  

Rob  

ERMMM..........mine don't    
Left them growing through their fence,  they didn't touch them, had to pull up as I was getting stung everytime I went in there!!!!

[agapanthus]

CHICKENS EAT NETTLES  :?:  :?:  :?:  :shock:

Stand back while I grab me gloves !!!!!  

Rob  

ERMMM..........mine don't    
Left them growing through their fence,  they didn't touch them, had to pull up as I was getting stung everytime I went in there!!!!

Perhaps it's just the amberlinks then.....they are greedy *!!!!!

[melc1962]

mine will kill for tinned sweetcorn and turn their nose up at ginger cake (mind you so did the rest of the family) and fruit  cake. They stripped my gooseberry bush bare (no jam this year!) but don't seem bothered for loganberries! My husband says they have no taste buds but they seem to think differently!

melc

[Piglit's Pullets]

How are the hens, Naomi ??  Hope that they have got back on schedule.  Maybe they miss the cornflakes   .... bit like McDonalds for chickens??  

[NormandyMary]

Mine wont eat nettles either. Perhaps I should pick some and make them a nice soup. They might like it with a chunk of bread and butter.

[mumsy]

         

[woodburner]

Is it ok to chuck in a huge pile of mixed annual weeds and just leave to sort out good from bad or are there a few that'll do them no good ??

I tend to either compost or, if they've gone to seed, take them down the tip, which is wasteful if the chooks can enjoy them.

Rob  

It's worth learning to recognize the ones that are good for them like fat hen, and chickweed, especially if they are in your garden.