Chookies telling porkies??

[minskey]

Chookies, I ment Chookies. My cookies never lie they always tell I've ate most of the packet if I leave one, so I don't

Now, I have 26 chooks. Between them they have 2.5kg layers pellets fed in the morning, 1kg of mixed corn in the eve, half an acre of grass paddock to scratch about in all day, a couple or three whole cabbage or kale and any veggie peelings I have in the kitchen.

Every time I go and see them they groan and call telling me they are STARVING very loudly!!

Upon picking them up and investigating all of them have obsceanly full crops [you'd also thin I had horses in the hen house when I muck it out each morning}

Are they telling porkies?

P.S., they have been wormed about two weeks ago.

[MaureenHall]

Yes they are telling you porkies I'm wondering about the amount of corn they have though. At the moment there's 35 birds here (I've got 15 lodgers!!) and they get as much layers pellets as they want (I don't measure it) and around 3pm when I collect the eggs, they have a large mug of corn scattered around between all of them, They also have cabbages, veg trimmings and peelings, and whatever else is around but not until late afternoon. They always tell me they're starving even though I can see they've all got full crops!!!!

[Nicos]

I do seriously wonder if I give my chooks too much access to food. Yup- they tell me there's clearly not enough for a sparrow to live on though!
As mine free range I'd have thought there would be plenty of insects during the summer months- and yet when they come to bed at nighttime with full crops they're always desperate for a bit of supper.
Now there is snow on the ground, and there have been heavy frosts I've been feeding them a bit more- but they're never satisfied!
Tricky isn't it???

[RedThorn]

They're women! Rest my case. *ducks down into air raid shelter*

On a serious note, they'll con you for whatever they can. Mine have access to pellets all day, I never measure pellets. The consumption goes up and down depending on the weather, rain or snow it's higher than overcast and sunny days. 2 handful's of corn late afternoon is all they get of that

Open you my veggie beds to them in late autumn to them too.

[Nicos]

They're women! Rest my case. *ducks down into air raid shelter*

You wise , wise man

[HeyWayne]

Did someone say....

[SarzWix]

I've amended your thread title minskey

[matthew2riches]

Mine are little liars too

The neighbors must think I don't feed them! They have access to plenty of food, they're just a little sort of greens at the moment.

Tell them to lay more eggs and stop moaning

[Flummery]

I think moaning is their way of enjoying themselves! - a bit like teenagers! Mine moan when I've just put fresh greens in - because they aren't mealworms, I guess!

[minskey]

Maureen, can I call you 'Aunty Mo'
Is that too much corn? I thought I'd give them a bit more than usual [well twice as much] as its been so cold.........

The ex-bats seem so bony to me, and I thought they could use a bit more weight or is it that they are the dairy cow of the chook world and will always look bony

[its hilly]

Well I thought mine wernt getting enough food at t-time, till I picked a couple up BEFORE they got their supper...and found huge crops. OK so they are free range over a couple of acres, but I'd been really worried cos when Im at work if I finish late they go to bed with no supper as theyve roosted before I get there..not unexpected as its pitch black . Now I'm not worried as much. There are a couple of skinnies I have to sneak extra to cos theyre last in the pecking order and get chased off, but they now know that it will be comeing and just follow me back to the feedroom while the others are still stuffing, who said chooks are daft?

[MaureenHall]

Maureen, can I call you 'Aunty Mo'
Is that too much corn? I thought I'd give them a bit more than usual [well twice as much] as its been so cold.........

The ex-bats seem so bony to me, and I thought they could use a bit more weight or is it that they are the dairy cow of the chook world and will always look bony

Course you can call me Auntie Mo Everybody else does

I think (in my opinion anyway) that yes, you are giving them a bit too much corn. It's on a par with giving kids loads of crisps and chocolate, very nice as an occasional treat, but too much isn't very healthy. Corn makes the chooks fat, and fat chooks don't lay eggs!! All my ex-batts feel bony, but when you think about it, they're not bred to be meaty birds, they're egg-laying machines (even though they're so lovely and we think the world of them!) Let them fill up on as much layers pellets or mash as they want and let them have their treats about an hour or so before bed. Mine usually have a cabbage hanging up for them to peck at too, but that's largely dependent on whether the supermarket has some reduced ones or there's some scraggy ones left on the allotment

[BUFFS]

mine moan for more food,mywife moans that they are not all laying,just as well im going deaf,great when passing dress shops...just keep walking...bliss.

[motherhen]

Please don't limit their mash or pellets they will not over eat this type of food, as Redthorn says that will vary depending on weather conditions, we have found ours have eaten a lot more in the adverse weather conditions, obviously need more food just to keep warm, keep scraps and kitchen waste to a minimum it has little feed value if any at all. Corn fed just before roosting time is more beneficial because they can digest slowly overnight, and get the most from it. It is the protein level that keeps them healthy and in lay this should be 16/17% and anything else will only diminished the usefulness of the proper ration.

[tlck9]

I provide layers pelletts/mash all day and they have a mash/poultryspice/oats mix for breakfast with warm water.

However get the corn out or the rice and they are greedy gobblers! they would eat as much as they can grab, but crops are big so I dont give them that much.