Winter feeding

[minskey]

Hi All,

I was wondering if any of you chook keepers change what you feed your chooks during the winter.

Mine have just about stopped laying [ Ex batts & some hybrids and pure breeds] Some or all are moulting or just coming out of moult. I was thinking about just feeding mixed corn along with poultry spice, garlic & greens, along with a bowl of grit/shell which is always available for a few weeks until after christmas.

The theory behind that is the lack of eggs, do they need pellets? They also look cold when outside and I thought mixed corn would give them more fat to burn hence keeping them warmer.

What do you think?

[Snadger]

You're probably right minsky!

I just up the ammount of corn I give them in the evening. Quite a few of mine are still laying so I'll stick with the layers pellets for the main course for now!.

As an aside, have you noticed the egg boxes with "Eggs from corn fed chickens" on them?
They must think the punters will think they are being fed something special!

[minskey]

Hi Snadge

My worry is that some times I'm not back from work before it gets dark so even though they have had pellets during the day they have missed the treat before bedtime.

On another vein; my feed place no longer stock Farmgate pelletts and changed to another more expensive brand; they are horrible. pelletts are smaller, very pale and not fresh smelling andalso very powdery; chooks don't like them much either. I'm not buying them again. What brand do you feed?

[Suechooks]

I give mine a mash at lunchtime of layers pellets, maybe a few root veg/peelings, sometimes a little bit of spaghetti or couscous mixed in to tempt them and a spoon of Poultry Spice. About twice a week I give them a bit of garlic powder and a spoon of cod liver oil. The rescued Silkies love it and I'm getting 1 or 2 eggs daily from them. The hybrids are managing about 6 a day from 14 and as 7 are moulting and 3 of those are exbatts in their 2nd year "out" I think it's paying dividends. As a bonus my gold-laced Wyandotte bantam has started laying again and the leghorn too.
Todays snow may well change their minds though!

[Glutton4...]

I haven't changed my feeding regime. Mine have unlimited access to Layers' Pellets, and grass, so can stuff themselves as much as they want. They get corn in the evening, but they have to fight the Geese for it, so I know they don't get more than they should!

It may sound mean, but I've seen what happens with animals when their owners feel sorry for them No offence!

[Snadger]

Hi Snadge

My worry is that some times I'm not back from work before it gets dark so even though they have had pellets during the day they have missed the treat before bedtime.

On another vein; my feed place no longer stock Farmgate pelletts and changed to another more expensive brand; they are horrible. pelletts are smaller, very pale and not fresh smelling andalso very powdery; chooks don't like them much either. I'm not buying them again. What brand do you feed?

Shock!!!!!! Aghast!!!!

I use Farmgate pellets and pay just over £5 a bag for them. Tuther stuff at a pet shop up thew road costs £8 a bag and the chooks don't even like it! Mixed corn is just under £6 a bag I think.
I will get five bags of layers and one bag of corn on Sunday morning and that should last me a couple of weeks or more, hopefully!

[RichmondHens]

I will get five bags of layers and one bag of corn on Sunday morning and that should last me a couple of weeks or more, hopefully!

Blimey Snadge, how many chooks do you have (or do you have some very well fed rats)? I have about 35 laying hens of various types and they would not eat that much in two weeks. That amount would last me a good month, and probably a third of a bag of corn, and the growers and fattening cocks get a share of the corn too, in addition to their grower/finisher pellet.

[RichmondHens]

Hi All,

I was wondering if any of you chook keepers change what you feed your chooks during the winter.

Mine have just about stopped laying [ Ex batts & some hybrids and pure breeds] Some or all are moulting or just coming out of moult. I was thinking about just feeding mixed corn along with poultry spice, garlic & greens, along with a bowl of grit/shell which is always available for a few weeks until after christmas.

The theory behind that is the lack of eggs, do they need pellets? They also look cold when outside and I thought mixed corn would give them more fat to burn hence keeping them warmer.

What do you think?

They still need protein, even if they are not laying. Protein levels need to stay high so they can regrow their feathers quickly. Even when they are not laying in the depths of winter their bodies are preparing themselves for the onset of Spring. If you starve them of suitable protein they will take longer to come into lay. They may also even start feather pecking as a way of gaining protein (they will gobble up the feathers). If you are concerned about them being cold, just give an extra couple of handfuls of corn at bedtime to get them through the long nights.

[Snadger]

Blimey Snadge, how many chooks do you have (or do you have some very well fed rats)? I have about 35 laying hens of various types and they would not eat that much in two weeks. That amount would last me a good month, and probably a third of a bag of corn, and the growers and fattening cocks get a share of the corn too, in addition to their grower/finisher pellet.

I have about 30 large fowl, five of which are cockerels (and they are LARGE compared to other chooks I have seen).
I use about two bags of pellets a week and a bag of corn will last about six weeks!
I haven't seen any rats or rat holes and have put poison down round about runs, just in case.
Funny you should mention rats though, when I was leaving the allotment this evening I saw about ten rats feasting on a chook keepers pellets. His chooks are near the main gate 100yds from mine.
Must remember to take the air rifle with me on Sunday as they were that close, even me, who couldn't hit a barn door if I was sitting on the latch could have taken a few of these rodents out.
The general consensus of allotmenteers seems to be " Well if the rats are eating someone elses food, they are less likely to bother mine"

[CaroltheCarrot]

Mine get porridge now, well I am Scottish

[Hans Mum]

mine get porridge (supermarket cheapo oats) mixed with poultry spice but still feed layers although dont know why cause i havent had more than 4 eggs in the last two weeks i had to buy some this week

[motherhen]

What a sensible girl that RH is! Keep it simple ad lib layers mash or pellets, stick to what they are used to, as change can upset them, to much corn can make them over fat and is only 10% protein, so lowers the protein percentage of the layers ration.
Corn is good as a treat late in the day because their very basic digestive system neans time to break it down, rather like a cow has to ruminate.
Rice and pasta is carbohydrate and has the same affect as with us and unless they burn if off will make them put on the wrong sort of boby weight.

[minskey]

Looks like I'll keep to the pelletts [hopefully a 'nice' brand] and 'up' the corn when I'm home. I forgot to say they have a very large feeder for pelletts and rarely eat it all by the end of the day and I also add cod liver oil, poultry spice and garlic to that twice a week.

Its not a question of 'feeling sorry' for my chooks or being anthropomorphic about them, but trying to give them what they need. I don't think any creature including us like to be cold and hungry.

[frogga]

We feed our layer pellets, they can scoff as many as they like, then in the afternoon we try and give them greens and some other veg, and they are free to roam on grass all day long too, and we have had 4 eggs from 4 chickens a day so far, none have skipped a days lay yet, just got to keep the water from freezing!

[chris]

Mine are still laying, but they're only young hybrids so that probably explains why.. Every other day one's a HUGE double yolker (bit worried about that, really - I don't want her to get eggbound - I've no idea how she can pass these eggs out ?! (that said, I've no idea how women can give birth either hehe!)).

I'd not planned on moving from layers pellets at all, just leave the feeder in the run during the day, and remove at night.