[oor wullie]

We got some young hens last week which came from a nice comfortable farm in the warm south (East Lothian) where they had been indoors most of the time.  The exposed highland hillside that is their new home has been a bit of a shock for them and I was wondering if we can help them put on a bit of fat to help them through the winter.  (This year we had quite a lot of snow in May and the frost frost of winter was at the end of August so winter could be quite long where we are!)

I think my neighbour mixes a bit of turkey feed in with the hen food to help them put on a layer of fat.  Is this wise?  What is in turkey food that has so many calories?
Any other suggestions for feeds that are fattening for hens?


In addition We are about to spend our first winter in a caravan on the croft and so suggestions for how a skinny guy can put on a layer of fat to help stay warm might be needed.  Currently the best way I can think of is clotted cream with dark brown sugar stirred into it, eaten with a spoon.

Tim

[Castle Farm]

To get a covering of fat throughout the bird feed cut maize. Wheat and Barley tend to put it on the abdomin.

Give them a grain diet with some added cod liver oil as a vitamin boost (it replaces Vitamin A+D).

Grain lasts a lot longer in the crop and intestines than pellets. The dropping won't be as wet .

Pointless feeding layers pellets if the bird has stopped laying for the winter, as the calcium % is high if the birds arn't using it to create egg shells.

Feed grit and fresh clean water and they will be fine.

I'm at 1000ft and exposed to high winds and low temperatures and the birds do OK.

[Sylvia]

Clotted cream and brown sugar sounds damn good to me   You might try(for you, not the chickens!) Cornish thunder and lightning. A slice of fresh white bread covered very liberally with clotted cream and then golden syrup trickled generously over

[Victorian Farmer]

i cort my kids giving the hens ice cream yesterday the other half bought value cornets from tesco they liked them very much .I done a work deal with the kids to say no think .