Egg laying

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , So why do WE all wait for a problem .
Why do the feed suppliers not get one step ahead and supply old girls food with all this in it .
Not harmful if chickens eat it I suppose .
I would have thought that the pellets made for chickens would have plenty in it .
Have to think of adding it to the girls food supply in some way .
Thank you .
It has made me think .
Bob

[Grannyof4]

I think it is far better to be able to add "extras" to their food as and when they need it and not pumping stuff into them that they do not need.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Not exactly force feeding . .Bit like worm pellets I suppose . Prevention . I thought people were adding extras all the time . Limestone powder probably in pellets to a smaller degree anyway . I always have plenty of oyster shell and grit in the run and spread around the garden . I know my girls will not eat brussels full stop and only way they touch them would be force feeding for sure. Again a bit like my kids . I even get cockle shells from Leigh on sea (sheds ) .

Bob

[Grannyof4]

I just don't believe in giving their little body more to deal with than it needs. My hens don't like sprouts but I don't think that is the end of the world. MY feeding routine for my hens has always been to buy good quality pellets which they have access to during daylight hours then in the afternoon a bit of mixed corn, few dried meal worms and any spare veg.

[lancashire lass]

I think it is far better to be able to add "extras" to their food as and when they need it and not pumping stuff into them that they do not need

Granny has a point - too much calcium (or any other supplement) is as bad as not enough. It affects their other organs like kidneys and cause permanent damage.

Have to think of adding it to the girls food supply in some way

Limestone flour is a powder so when making up a dish of veggies, some of it will cling to the wet bits (if I notice a problem of thin shells, I defrost frozen sweetcorn kernels and add a teaspoon and mix it up) But adding calcium is not always the answer - to aid absorption of what they already eat, they need other things like vitamin D. It's not so much a problem in summer if your girls spend some time in the sunlight but in winter, you could make a warm mash (from the layers pellets) and mix a little cod liver oil in (you can buy from horse feed stores rather than from a chemist) Again, not too much or too often as with all supplements. I also give the occasional treat of tinned sardines - oily fish has vitamin D. Any "old" eggs (still edible but getting past their best) that haven't been sold or I haven't got round to using up myself are hard boiled, chopped and offered to the girls as an odd treat - eggs are a good source of vitamins & minerals including D, E and B, and the egg shells (source of calcium) are crushed almost to a gritty powder and added at the same time. Eggs and fish are protein sources which are a good supplement during moulting and helps with feather growing, but beware that too much and too often (can you see a pattern here LOL) is just as bad. Extra protein means bigger eggs - bigger eggs are harder to lay, not to mention too much protein in their diet can cause other problems like increased urates (makes them thirsty so they drink more to get rid of it which make for wetter droppings which suggests they are ill - before you know it, you start treating them for worms and any other bug or parasite that are designed to flush out the problem, along with all the nutrients)

Why do the feed suppliers not get one step ahead and supply old girls food with all this in it

because it is not economical for feed suppliers to make food for older chickens which for the most part are for commercial use (to lay eggs or culled as a meat bird while both still relatively young) Chickens as pets are still small scale in the grand scheme of things, and semi-retired girls are even smaller. The only way is to consider "making" it yourself but bear in mind that (1) you need a very sound knowledge of nutrition (2) you may be breaking the law (Defra) The best you can do is supplement their usual feed with other foods for general good health - a little bit of fresh or dried fruit (eg raisins or sultanas) and vegetable especially leafy greens, some seed like sunflower (I also give mine a little wild bird seed which has different types as found in chicken treats that you can buy), the odd protein treat as already mentioned but the key is that the bulk of their feed comes from the layers pellets which contains other ingredients for good health like minerals such as phosphorous which you may miss out on.

[Grannyof4]

Great, great post LL. As much as we love our chickens, they are chickens and unless they need a specific supplement for a reason, good quality pellets is really all they need. We all love to give them treats which is fine in small quantities.

[lancashire lass]

The best you can do is supplement their usual feed with other foods for general good health

I forgot to mention pumpkin seeds - excellent for chickens. All those years before I got round to keeping my own when I've grown winter squash and marrows and thrown the seeds in the bin ... now nothing is wasted. Doesn't have to be just seeds, they will also eat the pumpkin flesh too - a good way to use up the Halloween pumpkin (whole or broken up still in the skin, just so long as they are able to get to the flesh) and give them something to peck at - orange coloured foods are rich in vitamin A which if you ever get round to reading the ingredients on layers pellets is very high

[Susan59]

Thanks Mo,

I love how much information and experience the Laners have to share, I find this forum invaluable!