[in the hills]

FiB - Yes , they should go to bed with a full crop, particularly important during cold weather. They say grain is good for an afternoon feed since it is digested more slowly than pellets and so keeps the crop full for the night. Think they say a little maize is good for keeping them warm at night in winter .... not too much as it can make them fat!

[Welshcob]

Our chickens always had ad lib feed regardless of what it was.
We figured out though that if you want to feed them a home-made diet you have to look at the label of the pellet sack and try to reproduce that. The stuff you buy is complete and balanced (unless it says otherwise), they shouldn't need anything else but I know how nice is to treat them!

We devised a home-made recipe with wheat (whole grains), rolled oats, wheat bran, broken maize and a soya protein mix, plus vitamins and minerals (they come ready to add, a scoop or so).

So we actually had two groups of same age pullets (to become layers) and fed them ad lib pellet or home-made. At the end we found that the pellet is better for their health and egg production, because they can't choose the bits they prefer, whereas with grains mix they used to leave some stuff behind. Unfortunately the stuff they left was the protein/vitamin/mineral powder, so they were getting less than they should. Also the home-made mix tended to go off quicker (not sure why as everything was dried).

Eventually we just left them all together with ad lib layer pellets, they were happy and went foraging around but not crazy for food in the morning. If it was very wet/cold or too hot (Italian summer is HOT  ), we'd prepare bran mash with either hot (if winter) or fresh (if summer) water and they loved it. Before bed, they'd go to sleep with a full crop and they seemed very happy to eat it. Sometimes we'd even put garlic in it, as the old wives tales say it helps fighting worms!! (not 100% true though, still always had plenty in them).

 

[Mammyshaz]

Our are confined to a large run so I was worried after reading they can get fat.
Have fed ad lib and monitored. They eat the layer pellets on a morning then forage most of the day returning for a few crops of pellet later in the afternoon.

I follow this up with mixed corn at teatime to fill them for overnight as all feed is locked away for rodent control.

They are always happy to have breakfast in a morning but not in a frenzied way, just happy to be out, mooch around and fill their crops. They have stayed in nice body condition, not too fat thankfully. Possibly due to foraging most of the day.

[chrismahon]

Need to be careful what you feed them content wise as Graham-j found out. His grain diet had far too little protein in it (10% should be at least 15%) so the hens sought extra from each others feathers. Grain is fine if you can be sure that the free ranging area contains sufficient insects to provide the extra protein. No good at all if the hens are confined to runs all or most of the day -you need to give them pellets.
 
Just found a great book in a Charity Shop. Complete Poultry Keeper and Farmer 1938 , reprinted 1947. It has a list of grains and their average component percentages -carbohydrates, starch, proteins and others. It also has picures of many Poulty Houses including a Suffolk Ark, plus the surgical detailed procedure for caponising -barbaric, but interesting.

[Welshcob]

plus the surgical detailed procedure for caponising -barbaric, but interesting.

In Italy certain people are paid s***loads of money to go and castrate cockerels on farms. They charge a lot per hour and the best ones can castrate 3 animals/minute  . Never mind that sometimes they forget a piece inside... 

I have to say that it might be barbaric so, but it is not at all different from castrating tup lambs or bull calves. Capons meat is really lovely, especially in a casserole.

[manian]

mine have their layers ad-lib
the ross/cobb that escaped the pot and are now laying get measured as they will eat constantly

[chrismahon]

The problem I have with caponising is that it is done at 12 weeks old for best survival rate (75%)and is without anaesthetic. They recommend in this book that the insision wounds are not stitched, just left. It is major surgery far beyond lambs or calves as the testicles are inside the abdominal cavity near the lungs, that's right up at the top behind the shoulders! To keep the bird immobile heavy weights are hung from its legs and wings when it is spread over a table! Which is why I consider it barbaric.

[in the hills]

That sounds horrific  . I'm guessing    it's illegal in this country ?

[the great composto]

I read that caponising can be succesful in stoping a cockerel crowing.  Interesting you could keep a cockerel as a pet that way if you lived in a residential  area.
Sounds a it pointless keeping an unproductive bird.

[Welshcob]

The problem I have with caponising is that it is done at 12 weeks old for best survival rate (75%)and is without anaesthetic. They recommend in this book that the insision wounds are not stitched, just left. It is major surgery far beyond lambs or calves as the testicles are inside the abdominal cavity near the lungs, that's right up at the top behind the shoulders! To keep the bird immobile heavy weights are hung from its legs and wings when it is spread over a table! Which is why I consider it barbaric.

not quite as bad these days - remember your book is quite old! 

[SouthMains]

okay so here is the lastet update, I had thought that the ad lib feeding was working but am not so sure now.  On saturady they managed to eat everything I had put out for them which would have worked outa t about 250g each!!, they did the same on Sunday, they also eat it all in one go so there was no feed left within a hour of putting the feed out so they were not doing what i had hoped which is to eat small amount often.  They basically stuffed themselves full then sat under the tree and slept for the rest of the day.  i am not sure whether to keep going wit the ad lib feeding as this has now doubled my feed bill, and I am not actually achieveing ad lib as they are eating eveything. 

[FiB]

Appologies if the answer to this is in the thread (have re read but cant find) - how much is the controled amount/bird.  I have now moved away from layers pellets and gone onto a mixed grain recipe (thank you CastleFarm) morning and night - but I am begining to think I'm not giving enough as they seem ravenous!!!!  They fully free range, but I dont want them to lose condition, and now I have more birds - I think I ought to weigh some rations as an exercise to see. 
Sooo.....grams per bird please?

[darkbrowneggs]

That sounds horrific  . I'm guessing    it's illegal in this country ?

Yes - I read it somewhere quite recently - definitely not allowed in the UK, but knowing the EU probably carried on quite blithely everywhere else

[in the hills]

Usually I leave my hoppers out all day and they are kept full so food is if you like ad-lib. They free range over a couple of acres all day. Food is - layers pellets. I also throw out mixed corn. At this time of year I have to remove hoppers after a couple of hours due to the number of pheasants that the food encourages.    I would however be concerned if I was taking in empty hoppers ie all food eaten because in my opinion it may mean that birds lower down the pecking order may not have eaten. They will be last to feed on most occasions.


I think the amount of grain etc they need may also vary depending upon the time of year eg. less insect life in autumn/winter and colder/wetter so will need more calories. Mine appear ravenous if I feed grain even though their pellets are sat there waiting for them  . My neighbour only feeds grain but her hens do leave it when they have had their fill and don't empty the hopper.

[doganjo]

Appologies if the answer to this is in the thread (have re read but cant find) - how much is the controled amount/bird.  I have now moved away from layers pellets and gone onto a mixed grain recipe (thank you CastleFarm) morning and night - but I am begining to think I'm not giving enough as they seem ravenous!!!!  They fully free range, but I dont want them to lose condition, and now I have more birds - I think I ought to weigh some rations as an exercise to see. 
Sooo.....grams per bird please?

My book says 110 to 150 gms per bird depending on variety.  I give mine 120gms each, half in the morning, half in the afternoon, (shared between two feeders - 6 birds) with scraps an hour before bedtime, but mine only free range for a short time each day, due to fox problems and my own dogs.