chicken food recomendations

[tlck9]

Hi All,

For a while now I have used farmgate layers mash mixed with smallholders meal.

My local stockist had stopped selling farmgate (never that keen anyway -I had 2 bags with blue plastic bits in it!) so I started using Crediton Mill mash - then realised it has GM elements.

So i've tried marriages mash but that's dust and any left or on the floor, turns liek concrete.

They like the bits in farmgate but dont like dust - the smallholders they will peck at but only if its mixed with something else - if I put a feeder out with just that they wont touch it. I have tried pelletts but more ends up on the floor.

Any ideas, looking for non-gm, not dust, good quality feed?

[Glutton4...]

I use Fancy Feed Pellets. Mash is too messy and wasteful. I use Marriages with Flubenvet already in it, when they need worming, then back to Fancy Feed.

In my experience, Hens are like Kids, they eat what they prefer, but if they're hungry they'll eat what you give them. Mine only get two options; eat what's there, or go hungry!

[kathyd]

I find the whole feeding thing does my head in to be absolutely honest... I started mine on pellets but they didn't eat them until one day after it had rained on them and they went soggy. So I soggified them with hot water and all went OK for a while, but then they stopped eating them again. During the summer (summer??) they've hardly touched them, and even left some of the grain I throw down - presumably getting enough from free-ranging? Then I discovered they'd eat hard pellets sometimes... so now I put down hard, soggified, grain and they still free-range. And the pellets are still hardly touched. Which I'm actually OK with in theory, except I'm given to understand pellets are what they 'should' eat to ensure a balanced diet and keep them healthy etc etc... So I've decided just to keep making things available, and as long as they seem healthy and happy and are laying OK, I'm going to let them get on with it and just enjoy them. I have to say, those pellets look and smell particularly unappetising! They wouldn't be my first choice if I were a chicken! Lol

[RichmondHens]

I'm with G4 on this. Give them what is convenient for you. They will eat it eventually. I couldn't possibly pander to my lot, there are far too many. Chickens won't starve themselves. Kathy, in the summer there is usually plenty of insect life to eat and if free ranging they will almost certainly fill up on that rather than pellet, which is fine.

[tlck9]

Katyd, right with you on this and G4 would love to do this!!

The problem started when I introduced ex-batts - my 4 originals had pellets and nothing else, great - then I introduced the 4 ex batts and had to feed them crumbs for the first few weeks so I put both food out - at which point I noticed the pellets werent getting eaten so I removed them over a week - however I noticed that one of the originals crop was empty several days on the trot - she was literally starving herself

I popped pelletts down and the next day her crop was full.

So sadly I got into a habit. Mine love their food mixed with hot water and porridge in the winter.

do you think it would hurt them to include a handful of mixed corn to the food I want o them to eat to make it more appealing?

[Mikey]

I used to give mine a handful of corn a day, but their eggs became very brittle, Now I've stopped the treats they are much better.

[jessmorris]

I give mine Fancy Feed. Its better than the cheapest stuff from the feed store, but I've only a few banties so costs isn't SO much of an issue. I tried Garvo which gave them bright yellow legs but its very expensive (£14/20kgbag)