hello everyone hope you all had a good Christmas and new year this is probably a silly question!!! we might get some snow and i am a bit worried about my chicks will they be all right and do i need to do any thing for them??? Ive been giving them warm mash and am going to see if they like porridge made with water to warm there little tummys up ;D ;D i wish i could bring them home till it warms up but hubby doesn't like birds of any type may be he should move to the allotment :D :D please put my mind at rest as i don't think i will sleep tonight
As long as they have plenty of bedding they will be fine. It may need topping up more regularly due to the wet weather. Remove matted stuff where applicable. They will go inside themselves if it gets too cold. Check water feeders in case they have frozen over.
Worry over ;)
thanks kt I'm still new to this and don't want to get it wrong as my hens are now my babies as my kids are to big to be fussed over or so they tell me
Tohellwithweeds, how do you make warm mash, I too want to keep my chickens warm in the worst of the weather?
Kathi
Quote from: prink13 on January 03, 2008, 09:54:45
Tohellwithweeds, how do you make warm mash, I too want to keep my chickens warm in the worst of the weather?
Kathi
Take a flask of hot water and make the mash on site, adding the required amount of cold water to get the temperature required. I usually feed mine layers pellets as opposed to mash. Due to current temperatures they get both. Feeding the mash fills them up first,- they demolish it quickly, then they pick at the pellets through the day. If you give pellets first, the mash will end up being eaten cold.
Thanks, I suppose my next question is - what is the "Mash" and where do I buy it, as far as I know, they don't sell it at my local feed suppliers?
Kathi
You can get it here Kathi.
http://www.greenmule.co.uk/farm-and-country-261/farm-feed-262/poultry-280.html
Quote from: prink13 on January 03, 2008, 12:27:13
Thanks, I suppose my next question is - what is the "Mash" and where do I buy it, as far as I know, they don't sell it at my local feed suppliers?
Kathi
Yes they will. It looks like ready-brek before being made up. Bags are the about size and price as pellets.
Thanks
Many years ago I lived in Arundel in Sussex and the landlady kept chickens at the bottom of the garden.
She always made them a breakfast of peelings (ie potato and veg scraps) boiled up and with layers mash added. The smell is memorable (nicely so!) and the chooks all did well and they used to have corn mix in the afternoon!
They survive quite happily in the cold - they don't need bedding as you probably know they roost on perches. Just so long as they are fairly draught free. They also don't like the rain so if they have rain shelter they will be happy anyway!
I am dying to get mine now and am really envious of all you lot that have your chooks. I am waiting to hear from the Council if I can have some up the lottie!
Old Bird
try warm mash spuds my hens love it!! ;D ;D ;D ;D