[Lakisha354]

Hi every one I finally got my girl's but not sure as to what and when and how often to feed them.

They have had some oats with hot water tipped on this mrning and they have eaten it all, I have also a feeded in there with some layers pellets in it.

Should I be giving them anything else. :?

Thanks Shelley x

[Debbie D]

At the moment I tend to give them layers pellets in the morning and a scoopful of mixed corn about an hour before they go to bed so that they go to bed with a full crop.  In the summer I would give less corn, just a bit as a treat.  They also get treats of veg, dry bread and grapes occasionally.

[karlooben]

mine get  layers meal or mash , pellets , mixed corn , and most veg peelings boiled, as well as marrows an cabbages hung up as treats an to take away any boredom .i find mine morning  when they are let out an afternoon they get a small amount in the house as i find it easier to get them to bed but some people dont do that and they say its best not to leave any food in the house over night .

[Molly Hen]

Not sure if what I am doing is right after reading this!!!!
I have a feeder in the run (a green and white one) and leave food in this all day.  I don't put too much in as I rather it be fresh every day, but should I only be giving them enough to eat up in a morning and then nothing till bed time!!!!!!!! :?  :?

[karlooben]

i think feeding the birds is down to what each indiviaul perfer { sorry cant spell that ,lol }. i have a giant water tray that is now used as a feeder  in my run an it has up to 3 bowl fulls of meah, pellets for 19 girls daily i would say the bowl is a standard breakfast size bowl , but nearly every day they have pasta rice porridge an veg trimmings mixed in . an in the afternoon there can still be food in the tray well mostly the crumbs from the meal.

sounds to me that u are doing fine .

[Snowy Howells]

Not sure if what I am doing is right after reading this!!!!
I have a feeder in the run (a green and white one) and leave food in this all day.  I don't put too much in as I rather it be fresh every day, but should I only be giving them enough to eat up in a morning and then nothing till bed time!!!!!!!! :?  :?

They need access to their layers pellets/mash all day - it takes a lot of food to make an egg! But you can bring the food in overnight to deter rodents, as long as you put it out again first thing. In theory, they don't need anything other than the pellets, but in practice they do like variety, so the pellets can be supplemented with other foods. You just have to be careful not to overdo the other foods or they will just get fat. Most people like to give them pellets only in the morning, no treats, otherwise they will just eat the treats and ignore the pellets. Mine have access to their pellets all day. I give them a handful of corn in the morning to get them scratching around, then mid afternoon, they get a bowl of kitchen scraps.
Hope this helps  

[poultrygeist]

What Snowy says !

Also, if you are giving them anything other than pellets, you will need a supply of poultry grit available at all times. You can get this from any feed merchant and can offer it in a dish or pot that they won't knock over.
You should also offer some oyster shell or limestone flour to supplement the calcium in their pellets. Eggs take a lot of calcium to make every day !

Rob

[upert]

a bloke by me feeds his chickens peanuts (unsalted) and whole carrots. or at least he tries to.

[poultrygeist]

Interesting  :shock:

I would imagine they'll end up very fat with good night vision.  

Rob

[Snowy Howells]

a bloke by me feeds his chickens peanuts (unsalted) and whole carrots. or at least he tries to.

 :shock: Errm .... interesting choice of diet  :?   Wonder if he gets many eggs?  

[woodburner]

I have vague recollections of birds being allergic to something associated with peanuts, some scare about feeding wild birds, 'you must be sure the peanuts you give them must be free of  . . . .' (and it wasn't salt) so I wouldn't be too keen on trying them on my girls!

[Sassy]

a bloke by me feeds his chickens peanuts (unsalted) and whole carrots. or at least he tries to.

Doesn't sound too healthy. None of my hens have ever eaten carrots anyway.

[upert]

did you grate them?

[Debz]

At the moment because it is cold, mine get a dish of cooked peelings every morning and a dish of pellets.  Later on in the day they get a bit of banana or lettuce as a treat and a couple of handfulls of corn.  The family reckon my girls are very spoiled but I figure it is only fair becuase they give me an egg each most days.  

[Sassy]

did you grate them?

No. Do you think this would help?