My questions thread..

[chris]

Sorry in advance I figured that I'd start a new thread as I have a few questions that aren't really related to the other threads.. and I also do not doubt that I'll have another thousand by the end of the week.

Okay, so let's start off with these

1) Can they have seeds such as linseed, sunflower seeds, etc? - supposedly high in protein... tanget here, are nuts seeds? Why do people advise not givings nuts to babies less than a year, but seeds aren't mentioned?

2) Are nuts ok? (Thinking sort that may be in muesli - such as almods etc!

3) Baking egg shells to give back to them.. should they come from them, or would bought eggs be ok? I'm not planning on doing this yet, seeing as they're on layers pellets but just wondered anyway!

4) Can they eat uncooked rice? (just boiling some up anyway, but again I'm curious)

5) Cats - grr. I've had 3 separate ones jump onto the coop roof / make a dash at the run... I know people have said and told me that chickens will see a cat off.. but should I keep an eye on the cats until the birds are older? They're 17 weeks old..... so not sure if they'll grow any larger (leading onto next question)

6) Will they grow any larger? - Light Sussex, Black Rock (French *shrug*), Magpie.. they seem quite large already? Their feet are huge!

7) Will an ultrasonic cat/dog scaring thingymajig interfere with the birds? I know birds have good hearing - I don't want to stress them out if I point it towards the run/coop.

Think that's it for now folks - thanks in advance!

[RichmondHens]

Your own thread eh?
To answer some of the questions:

Nuts and seeds are OK, sunflower seeds particularly good. Not sure about the nuts and babies thing, thought it more a choking thing rather than allergy but not sure - any paediatricians on the Vine? If feeding to chickens maybe crush the nuts a little so they don't choke.

Egg shells fine to feed back to them as long as they are cooked (boiled or baked, doesn't matter) to kill bacteria. And they can eat their own egg shells - they won't know and it doesn't hurt them.

Cook the rice before feeding.

Go easy on the treats, of any form. Layers pellets should be their main feed, with any extras given at the end of the day.

Ignore the cats, they shouldn't harm them at this age and are probably just curious.
They will probably go away in a week or so.

At 17 weeks they still have quite a bit of growing to do. They won't be fully grown frame-wise until at least six months old, possibly older. And they will fill out over the course of the year. By year two they will look rather more matronly!

[motherhen]

Chrismarks, I really believe in keeping it simple and don't agree with feeding much else than the proper ration a good quality one will have all the nutrients and protein for the hens particularly young growing ones, if you want them to be long lived and healthy.
A little bit of mixed corn late in the afternoon, will give them a treat at the end of the day.
Cats are not a problem, but just take care that they are not stressed by them, if they are jumping around on the run it will upset them, is there anything that you can do to keep them off.

[chris]

Thanks both.. I can't really keep the cats off as they walk along my garden wall, onto the fence then hop onto coop. I just shoo them off when I see them (bloomin things, hate em!)

Haven't really given them any treats yet, few greens but watching them go around the garden earlier they were nibbling on a bit of this and that rather than the ones I was offering!

I hope they don't grow too large, or I may have to make some alterations to this tunnel + pophole malarky!

Thanks for the replies!

[elizajay]

Mine adore sunflower seeds, but they are very fattening and should be avoided. When I am filling my wild bird feeders I let a bit slip and they are all gathered below to mop up. They don't bother with veg leaves, prefer to eat straight off plants and at the moment with 7 chooks, some of my plants can't grow fast enough to replenish themselves. I give them fruit too, grapes and apples and pears. I think it's the chooks that eat half of each strawberry that ripens.

[jimred]

next doors cat is ignored by the chooks and they keep the mice down.

mine love spaghetti and dried mealworms

good luck

[chris]

Ive one of those 6 litre drinkers, atmospheric pressure ones, bucket on a saucer hobby... I'd planned on this so they gave enough water if we went away for the weekend- is there anyway to stop them messing it up so much? Or even pooing in it? No matter where I put it they still have it messy with an hour!

[Nicos]

any paediatricians on the Vine?

I'm not!...BUT...I do know that the oil from inhaled peanuts will cause lung abscesses and that inhaled pine nuts act like plugs in the smaller tubes inside the lungs.
Both of which are not good news for anyone- never mind young children

Can't see a chook inhaling a peanut though!

[Hilary B]

This 'avoid treats it will make them fat' idea; remember the worst things are the 'pure' carbohydrates, like rice, bread, pasta, and the very oily things.
High protein treats are a lot less liable to make chooks fat, but if they aren't also eating enough shell-stuff, may lead to soft-shelled eggs. There is also a (slight) risk that high protein with inadequate mineral content can be unhealthy in other ways (but more of a problem for growing youngsters, the protein makes them grow faster but they may not be getting the minerals they need to build a healthy body, and it would take a MASSIVE amount of unbalanced feeding to do this anyway.)
Green stuff is not a problem in that sense, although if they feel full after it they may not eat enough of their proper rations.

[Suechooks]

Ive one of those 6 litre drinkers, atmospheric pressure ones, bucket on a saucer hobby... I'd planned on this so they gave enough water if we went away for the weekend- is there anyway to stop them messing it up so much? Or even pooing in it? No matter where I put it they still have it messy with an hour!

Could you hang it up a few inches off the ground? Or stand it on a couple of level paving slabs.

[RichmondHens]

Ive one of those 6 litre drinkers, atmospheric pressure ones, bucket on a saucer hobby... I'd planned on this so they gave enough water if we went away for the weekend- is there anyway to stop them messing it up so much? Or even pooing in it? No matter where I put it they still have it messy with an hour!

I honestly wouldn't go away for a whole weekend and just leave the chooks to it (I won't even risk one day away from mine without getting someone in to check them/collect eggs). Even if you leave "enough" water and food for them there is always the risk of them knocking the water over somehow (they will always manage it when you are not there) and in hot weather you could easily come back to dead chooks, and leaving feed down is just asking for the rats to move in.

If/when you plan to go away, ask a friend or neighbour to come in and feed them and check water situation. Also collect eggs. Any eggs left hanging around uncollected over a weekend also encourages rats, and egg eating by the chickens.

Can't think why your water drinker is so messy. Can the saucer not be raised to just below head height? They couldn't get their bums over that!

[chris]

I'd not leave them alone - I meant so that the person didn't necessarily have to replace the water every day (I have a friend who also keeps chickens that I have a mutual arrangement with - I've also my neighbours and the parent-in-laws that'd be able to help out - don't worry I'd not leave them alone!).

I'll try raising it up, thanks!

[Munch]

Our drinker is suspended from the roof of the run as is the feeder. We found the girlies like to knock them over just for fun!
Also we had a massive slug issue as we discovered they live pellets! Hanging them solved these issues.