Brrrr Cold

[walldanzig]

thanks all the house I have is off the ground and free of draughts so I may just moniter it.

[TPeers]

I've never done a 'hot mash', I've always given pellets ad-lib, clean water at all times and spare greens and veggy scraps from the kitchen as and when with the occasional handful of corn of an evening if it is particularly wet and/or cold.

So how does one make a hot mash please?

The only thing I know is from my MiL whos family used to keep hens when she was a child and said that it involved long hours, horrible stinks and that hens hate carrots (not true - mine like 'em fine!)

[Alice]

Hello Walldanzig. How far north are you and how cold is it ?
You can go into your personal profile and show us where you are.

[LilyRose]

I've never done a 'hot mash', I've always given pellets ad-lib, clean water at all times and spare greens and veggy scraps from the kitchen as and when with the occasional handful of corn of an evening if it is particularly wet and/or cold.

So how does one make a hot mash please?

The only thing I know is from my MiL whos family used to keep hens when she was a child and said that it involved long hours, horrible stinks and that hens hate carrots (not true - mine like 'em fine!)

Mine don't like layers pellets so I buy layers mash and make it up with water. I give them this in the morning, then give them corn and rice/pasta late afternoon. Last winter it was really cold here,so I gave them warmer rice/pasta/etc to keep them warm through the night.

They've started to sleep outside this summer, I wonder if they'll move back inside as it gets colder. . .

[MaureenHall]

I make a hot mash by starting off with porridge made with water, then add some pellets, cooked veggies (if there's any left over) or cooked peelings, chuck in a bit of poultry spice, garlic, and whatever else I think they might need. I feed them the hot mash fairly early in the morning if it's freezing cold, otherwise they get it around 3pm so they've got something nice and warm inside before bed. Oh yes, I do let it cool down a bit before I feed it to them

[LilyRose]

.....and porridge! Thanks Maureen, ...half milk half water, they love it

[walldanzig]

Hi Alice I live in Sheffield not only does it get cold it rains a lot we have had several floods over the last few years which was the main reason I built the shed off the floor. It does get really cold at the moment there is just a chill but it will get worse.

[di]

Although I do switch to layers mash in the winter to make it easier to give them a warm breakfast,this is more as a little bit of comfort....and possibly just makes me feel better???I honestly think that when you consider chickens live in far colder climates than ours,unless you've got a breed that doesn't do well,mostchickens are more than able to keep themselves warm.As long asthey have a draught free place to roost & fresh water,I can't see our British winter ever getting so extreme for it to be a problem for them.(wasn't there someone on here whose girls were still chosing to roost outside even when it was snowy???)
If it does get cold they can get frostbite on their combs,don't know if this is more likely with some breeds than other,but apparently a smearing of vaseline can prevent this.

[Hans Mum]

I've never done a 'hot mash', I've always given pellets ad-lib, clean water at all times and spare greens and veggy scraps from the kitchen as and when with the occasional handful of corn of an evening if it is particularly wet and/or cold.

So how does one make a hot mash please?

The only thing I know is from my MiL whos family used to keep hens when she was a child and said that it involved long hours, horrible stinks and that hens hate carrots (not true - mine like 'em fine!)

like Mo i just make mine with cheapy porridge oats, hot water & chuck in whatevers left over or sometimes as a treat sultanas or raisins (cheapy ones again) I make it as I get up and leave it to cool for 10mins although i thinks theyve got asbestos beaks cause if ive been running late and had to put it in straight away they still attack it like theyve not been fed for a month

Good tip for water Sue will be giving that a bash, thanks

[di]

Now I don't know if I'm wrong here but...when we were giving ours porridge with oats we had several "dusty" eggs.I showed a chap at the lottie & without knowing I had,his first question was "have you been feeding them oats?"According to him,although in small quantities they're fine,they shouldn't have them as the main part of their diet.
Like I said,I don't know if there's truth in it?Just passing on what he told me.

[Bramble-Poultry]

There are loads of recipies for hot mash - simplest is just to make up normal layers mash with hot water! Oats are fine for chickens as a small amount but should not be given in large quantities, but porridge a couple of times a week will do no harm

Make any hot products with water only and never milk - milk can spoil if they do not eat it all immediatley and leave some for later on - obvioulsy if like mine they scoff it down in 3 secs and leave none at all its not going to spoil so no probs there!!

[Hilary B]

The 'mash' that took ages to prepare and made the kitchen stink would probably have been boiling up all sorts of horrible leftovers, the results then 'thickened' with coarsly ground grain.
In the days before layers' pellets this sort of thing might well have been the main diet of backyard hens.
These days it is more likely to be layers' meal damped with hot water.....

[RichmondHens]

Make any hot products with water only and never milk - milk can spoil if they do not eat it all immediatley and leave some for later on - obvioulsy if like mine they scoff it down in 3 secs and leave none at all its not going to spoil so no probs there!!

I thought you said on another thread that chickens shouldn't have milk because they are lactose intolerant?

[di]

When Marigold was poorly a while back I was advised to give her bio yogurt,but only a dessert spoon each day,for that reason.

[Hilary B]

When Marigold was poorly a while back I was advised to give her bio yogurt,but only a dessert spoon each day,for that reason.

There shouldn't be much lactose in yoghurt (or cheese) as it is the fermentation of the lactose into lactic acid that changes the milk......