The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: calamityjane on August 22, 2011, 12:09:39 pm

Title: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: calamityjane on August 22, 2011, 12:09:39 pm
Had our chickens a few months now bought dif bags of chicken feed from our local feed suppliers layers pellets wheat etc grit  went to lanark and bought bruised barley and corn which i was told they would love i get some wild bird seed and add that too i found they dont eat the layers pellets and same with the corn maybe i have too much corn in the mix they get veg as well sweetcorn and some bread what the best feed to give them they have access to my dungheap which they love is there any more i should give them
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: Rosemary on August 22, 2011, 12:15:12 pm
Layer pellets is a balanced feed but like us, hens will go for the nice stuff, given a choice rather than what's good for them.

I have layer pellets available all the time for the hens but they only get corn in the afternoon as  a treat. Likewise veg, fruit etc. Bread can cause impacted crop so beware of feeding too much.
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: Hopewell on August 22, 2011, 10:28:48 pm
We feed layers pellets and then they get whatever they find in the field/hedges etc. Technically feeding waste food items is subject to the same restrictions as feeding waste food to pigs, ie we're not supposed to do it if the food comes from the kitchen.
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: calamityjane on August 23, 2011, 03:05:18 am
the veg is esp bought for the animals i have pigs and ponies too my friend goes to the fruit market and buys it for me he has two pubs hence why he goes i only buy the best for my animals better fed than us but i believe if ur anaimals are happy you are too mine are free range and get lots from the land too i even have apple n pear trees which i don't eat ponies love them and this year pigs will get them too taz my saddleback likes his fruit ponies love a juicy pear esp if i hold it for them
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: manian on August 23, 2011, 07:03:56 am
iMorning
I feed layers pellets, if I feed them too much corn/goodies then they stop eating the layers and wait for the corn etc
sothey now have layers morning and evening and some corn at luchtime or for a treat.
at the moment they are loveing the veg from the plot...... can't get enough broccoli :yum:

need to be aware if they get fat then they will stop laying
HTH
Mx
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: tazbabe on August 23, 2011, 07:43:50 am
i scatter mixed pulty grains for them in the morning, then fill up the feeder with layers pellets, which they come back from the field for in the afternoons.
they spend all day foraging far and wide for their own delicacies!
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: SLI on August 23, 2011, 08:15:41 am
Hi,  :wave:
I feed mine the same as everyone else (probably because I got advice on here before I got them) - organic layers pellets, organic mixed corn and veg bits. I usually give them the corn late afternoon - did I read somewhere that digesting the corn overnight keeps them warm during cold nights? Not sure if I made that up in my head!   :chook:
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: MelRice on August 23, 2011, 09:16:04 am
Mine too have a pot of pellets always avaliable to them, forrage for the rest and get extra grain when its cold and/or wet in the pm/eve.
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: MikeM on August 23, 2011, 09:24:03 am
like the others here, layers mash in the morning and a handful or two of corn in the afternoon. They go absolutely mental for their corn.
Title: Re: chicken feed what do you feed your chickens?
Post by: manian on August 23, 2011, 08:11:57 pm
- did I read somewhere that digesting the corn overnight keeps them warm during cold nights? Not sure if I made that up in my head!   :chook:

hi no you haven't dreamt it.....it does keep them warm at night although not needed at the mo!!   ;)
Mx