How Much Food?

[shadegrow]

We are due to pick some ex-bats up soon. Layers mash is recommended as a starter food. Can anyone tell me how much? I seem to recall my Grandfather reckoning 4 ounces per bird but this was for free rangers & the food back then was corn. Would be grateful for any advice. TIA

[SarzWix]

After much Googling the only answer i can find is for layers pellets, but I would imagine it'd be similar quantities for mash. On the Eglu site they say around 120grams per adult bird.
Hopefully someone more experienced than me will be along to give you a better answer in the morning

[MaureenHall]

I think most of us ex-battery rescuers changed from mash to pellets almost straight away, get all the upheaval and changes over and done with in one fell swoop. Just fill up the feeder and see how much they take. They'll eat as much as they want, which is good cuz then you don't have the hassle of weighing out food etc. If the amount you put out is all gone long before bedtime and you have to top it up during the day, then put out extra the next day. Keep them on layers pellets for a week or so before starting them off with treats. They won't know what to do with treats anyway - mine looked at a cabbage for a good 10 days before having a peck at it, now a cabbage is lucky to last 10 minutes
In the cold weather, I give mine a warm mix first thing. This is layers pellets mixed up with cooked veg peelings, or porridge, or mashed potato, or cooked pasta, all mixed up together with hot water. They only get this if it's really really cold, otherwise I leave all the treats till about an hour before bedtime so I'm sure they'll have eaten enough of their balanced diet of pellets. A handful of mixed corn scattered on the ground before bed is lovely to watch . I'd also suggest getting some poultry spice to add to their food, they need all the help they can get for growing back their feathers and building themselves up after being in prison.

Well done on choosing ex-battery, I know you'll get lots of pleasure from them as well as lots of eggs. They will get the chance to feel the wind in their feathers, see the sky, walk on solid ground, open their wings, and grow into lovely confident old ladies

[Hashette]

Ditto what Maureen said. My lot are still on layers mash, mostly because it's a comfort food for them. I've got a feeder that I just top up as and when, so they help themselves to what they need. It's worked fine for three out of four (glossing over the not-so-little matter of Lady Tottington's ever expanding girth).

When you do start to introduce treats, go for very small quantities of the fattening stuff that they love, as well as larger amounts of cabbage and any other stuff that's actually good for them. Like Maureen said they won't realise it's food at first.

Once you can get them to taste mealworms they'll go mad for them, the cheapest ones I've found are from Wilkinsons. Spaghetti will also go down a storm, as will any sort of carbohydrate - bread, pasta, rice, they're not fussy. Just don't do what I did and give them so much bad stuff they end up looking like they've got saddlebags!

[Hans Mum]

ive only had my girls a week, and they are on pellets although i have given them warm porridge first thing as Maureen suggested (they love it) i was a bit anxious and weighed out the recomended quantity the first couple of days...now they get a beaker full each in the feeder which seems to be about right

[kirsty b]

Phew! I thought I was giving my ladies far too much grub, but bearing in mind I have 15 and a 20kg sack lasts around 10 days or thereabouts, it looks as though they are getting the right amount and treats too. Mine would eat all day though and not that fussy about what it is either!
Have been waiting for morning mash to finish cooking, and now its done, I'm off down there to feed em now.

[shadegrow]

Thank's for the advice. Much appreciated!!