The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Maddox on January 17, 2009, 05:12:14 pm
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Hello All
Please forgive my newbie questions but I have now got 6 lovely hens (3 Bluebells & 3 Light Sussex) at POL, may I ask how much I should be feeding them, at the moment give Layers pellets in the morning & again mid afternoon, in the evening I give mixed corn in there coop to try and get em in but they still roost in the shed (only been a week).
I also give them left over scraps an they have plenty of grit & oyster shell. At the moment they are in a 12ft by 6ft shed with a small run, when Im feeling brave I will let them free range.
Any advice very welcome.
Many thanks
Maddox
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I feed mine adlib - they just take what they want / need. They are free range though and don't eat an awful lot of pellets. Too many other tasty bits out there!
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Mine are in a run and get a plastic picnic mug of layers pellets morning and evening between 6, plus any veg that I can get from neighbours, what's left in the fridge. When I first got my ex-batts they got extra (sort of milk/honey porridge) to help get coats on them and strengthen their rittle regs.
I haven't had the courage to free range mine yet as little Freckles retrieves them - even from inside their run ;). Once the duck run is complete the ex-batts will go in with their posh cousins in the front garden and have a little more room.
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our 8 big birds share 1 l bucket (large yoghurt pot) of pellets and the same or a bit more of mixed corn over the day. They take less of it since they can roam now and get all the lovely bugs ans slugs - kitchen scraps on top, they love porridge and rice.