[madgirlything]

hi
just a couple of questions can you over feed chickens and am i giving my girls too many scraps as they not eating alot of thier layers pellets, i want them to be happy but only if they healthy too. Never knew chickens was so greedy lol everytime i open doors they come running and asking for food.
 

[Kate and her Ducks]

Like any animal yes you can!

Treats should be kept to a minimum, just like chocolate.

Fat hens have health peoblems and don't lay as well as those in good shape.

[mumsy]

Most of us would advise to give your chooks their treats in the afternoons, so they eat their pellet in the morning.  They soon get used to it.......

[karlooben]

i give my girls their treats an veg at 6 am along with the mash , they went of the pellets . but now i am cutting the treats rite down to once a week as i dont want them to get fat , but at night when its time to put them to bed u would think they have never been fed before with the way they act  .i so cant wait for the veges to get growing so they can have fresh veg all the time .

[poultrygeist]

I have found that I can fool mine by putting some pellets in their 'treat' dish and by the time they realise it's nothign special, they're full up again 

Breaks the begging a bit which means you don;t have to give in.

Rob

[8doubles]

My birds get raw greens for breakfast (even if its only 20 mins on the lawn ) + layer pellets all day.If my chooks lay any thin shelled eggs i  make sure they  get more calcium  by drying eggshells , crushing them and putting it through an electric coffee grinder. The shell powder is then mixed in with the small amount of food scraps they get most days for the afternoon treat.
 They have crushed oyster shell available but seem to eat very little of it so mixing with the scraps tops them up.

I also do the same as rob and put pellets in some of the liquid from cooked peelings and stir it all together.

Kev

[madgirlything]

thx for advice am gonna cut them down and try mixing the pellets in food too.

[too many girls]

mine get layers pellets ad lib, i stopped treating them with meal worms as i ran a serious risk of losing my arm....................