How hungry are they in the morning?

steveandbee · Post by **steveandbee** » 21 Jul 2008, 10:02

Since getting the 3 hens I've brought Layer Mash, Mixed Corn and now Layer Pellets. The daily routine is that they're let out first thing in the morning into the garden to free range. Their food are out in a large tray all day.

The problem is that they've not taken to their food in my opinion. They seems to be more interested in the garden and I'm concerned that they eating too much "junk food" from the garden and not getting their mineral & vitamines (you would think we're talking about our kids

).

When we first got them I did have a run around the coup but we were waken up at first light by one of them por-coring at the top of her voice in the morning. Not wanting to be the most annoying neighbour I've since them let them into the garden when they wake up.

Back to my original question. How hungry are they when they first get up? If they're starving then I will attempt to make a bigger run around the coup (in the hope that they eat the feed first) but I don't want to waste my effort as I've other cages/runs to maintain for our other creatures.

Post by Mo » 21 Jul 2008, 10:18

But is it "junk food" or is it the "natural food" that pellets try to replicate?

bluebell · Post by **bluebell** » 21 Jul 2008, 10:19

I would say mine are always clambering for their breakfast first thing. If you pick one of your hens up first thing in a morning you will see she has an empty crop, within a short period of time that will fill up and when you put them to bed on a night time you will notice that their crops are still full.

I would go with your last suggestion and make a larger run.

Let us know how you get on )t'

Post by **wendy** » 21 Jul 2008, 10:23

Hi.
They are always going to eat more when they get up.
I think with 'our' chickens they cannot free range like the would do if they were on a smallholding. As we have them in closed yards.
I think they are eating too much junk food and not getting their goodies.
Mine are only given their pellets in the morning and then the goodies later on.
So I would say keep them in the run with the pellets/mash until about 10 or 11 if they get up early. So they fill up on the food with all the vits and minerals they need.
You may find you have soft eggs or similar problems if they aren't getting all they need.
Wendy

Dean · Post by **Dean** » 21 Jul 2008, 17:27

Ours stay in the run with a supply of pellets until about 1pm every day, then get to roam the garden (and have treats) in the afternoon.

This worked fine until our new Sussex bantam arrived and took to emptying the feeder all over the run )gr:

(note to self - must find a new anti-scratch feeder) :-D

Dean

Post by **wendy** » 21 Jul 2008, 17:28

Try hanging it up. Dean.
Wendy

thebunster · Post by **thebunster** » 21 Jul 2008, 21:17

wendy wrote:Try hanging it up.

And if that doesn't work try suspending the feeder.... :oops:

jo68 · Post by **jo68** » 21 Jul 2008, 21:37

one of mine (miss millie) tries to climb in the feeder even though it is suspended from the top of the run, she manages to tip over the water thats standing next to it and causes a commotion but she still tries it most days, its quite funny to watch :razz:

jo x

Post by **p.penn** » 21 Jul 2008, 22:19

I agree that it is best to wait until later to let them out.

I did the 'trial & error' bit and found that if i left them in their run till one o'clock-ish, with only layers pellets, at least I knew how much they were eating. I still do this (mainly so they dont lay eggs in weird places!) but NOW they return to the run during the afternoon when they are peckish and the pellets are going down nicely! )t'

Chooks, given the chance, will eat ANYTHING but the highly nutritious pellets! :shock:

I DO give them corn and treats but they are reserved exclusively for getting them back in their run! (f+

steveandbee · Post by **steveandbee** » 22 Jul 2008, 13:55

Thanks for all the responses. I can see that I need to force them to eat their breakfast before free-ranging as they're still not eating their feed. When I got home yesterday at about 5:30pm they ran towards me as though they haven't eaten all day.

It's also only about 3 weeks before our holiday so I wanted them to make sure of their routine before we went.

steveandbee · Post by **steveandbee** » 22 Jul 2008, 23:42

Yes. Since last previous post when I got home they were eating from the feeder so I guess they will eat when they want.

I'm also in the opinion that they should really eat what's around and the occasional treat. I just want the best for them but I keep forgetting that if I wasn't there to rescue them then they would have been in some ready-meals already :!:

chickenchaser · Post by **chickenchaser** » 23 Jul 2008, 17:27

We all try to do our best for them, especially the ex-bats but if you think about it too much, you'd go mad )th(

I think Richard has it right: good clean shelter, a safe run and further to roam if possible, access to good food and water.

They don't need anything else but we try and give them everything because we love them and know they deserve it.

sorry, must dash, Blue bell wants her grapes peeling )t(

sunny · Post by **sunny** » 25 Jul 2008, 18:36

I put their pellets in the run feeder of their Ark when I shut them in for the night, often when they've already gone to bed. This is basically their breakfast as they eat it when they get up - which, in the summer, is well before I get up to let them out! Also, it stops the sparrows flying in & out of their Ark and nicking it. I give them lunch at 1ish, usually corn or something from the veg patch which I throw into their main run so that they can scratch about for it and then Tea, pellets again at around 4-5 ish. In the meantime, they're scratching around for whatever they can find themselves. Doing it this way seems to work as there is only a little left over, I'm not feeding the sparrows too and, as I've had probs with rats, I am very careful not to leave any left over food soruces around.