yaaaay, just been e mailed, we can have our ladies on monday instead of 13th september so we can see them settled before we go on holiday ;D
Great news - pictures please!
Wot ya' gettin? Wot ya' gettin? Wot ya' gettin? Breed? 8) 8) 8)
sorry, ktlawson, ex bats, don't think they'll be 'lookers' for a while ;D
anyone know about layer's mash, is it just pellets, mashed with water ?
that's what I've been told by one person, someone else says buy it separately, really getting contradictory info at the mo,
the hen welfare trust insists they must be fed on this for the first month, with pellets being offered too, ???
anyway, we're all doing research like mad now, so everyone has ideas ;D
should be interesting ;D
Quote from: manicscousers on August 06, 2008, 17:05:46
anyone know about layer's mash, is it just pellets, mashed with water ?
Because they are ex battery hens their stomachs may not be able to handle pellets just yet. once you get them fattened up a bit, then switch to pellets when they become stronger. It looks like porridge oats. Just add water and mix it. (Try to keep it out of the rain)
thanks, matey, we're going to the chicken shop on friday, see what we can get ;D
Can the hen welfare trust not explain what it is? Delighted to hear you are getting your chicks. Who'll look after them when you're on holiday? Going anywhere nice?
Layers mash is the powder form of the layers pellets, normaly given dry it just takes a hen longer to eat so less time to get bored.
From the shop get some mixed grit, this is oyster shell and grit mixed good for the digestion and egg shells.
Look out for cloudy Apple Cider Vinigar, very good for all amimals put in the water ( plastic conatiner) .
Get a small bag of mixed corn or wild bird seed to scatter on the ground gets them use to looking around and scratching.
Cabbage leaves to peck at be carefull of lettuce mine love it but it does give them the runs.
but most of all enjoy them.
wow, this is brilliant information...Anne, the rest of the plot holders, especially Geoff, who is chicken mad, in the best way, we're off to cornwall for a fortnight, really looking forward to it
anyway, the 'girls' will be well looked after, geoff's mate keeps chucks so advice is available if necessary ;D
teresa, thanks for the advie, makes it really simple, lots of the books contradict themselves ;D
hi Manics
I give mine the layers mash and pellets. I started with just the mash and then added the pellets into a separate feeding thingy!
They do not like the pellets as much at all and this is now 2 and a half months in now! They still prefer the mash! The Trust said that it is like confort food for them (as it is all that they have ever known).
The lady that got hers a couple of weeks ago just gives hers cooked pasta and vegetable bits and pieces and pellets and I have persuaded her to give them layers mash with the cooked food although I visited them this morning before they were on the site and the chooks had a dreary mush in their bowl which they certainly weren't keen on!
Mine are having a terrific diet of slighly past their sell by date of vegetables and fruit, which I collect from the local greengrocers, although there is far too much of it for my lot - I take it and then leave the excess out for the bin men!
They adore melons, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach just about everything really!
I hope yours aren't too "oven ready". It would be good for you to get photos before and after your holiday. The difference a couple of weeks makes is incredible!
Have a great holiday!
Old Bird
;D
Lucky you,,,,,,,,,,and of course,, lucky hens
Andrew
how fantastic, how lucky they are to be having a great home. photos please
well, we've got them, must admit they're better than we expected, one's up on a perch already, one's perched on the mash trough stopping everyone else getting any, the two biggest are fighting one another ;D
anyway, camera battery is flat so will get photos tomorrow ;D
Brilliant - well done those girls!
I am so pleased for you! It doesn't take them long does it!
Now you can go on your holidays happily manics - have a good time!
Old Bird
thanks, old bird, my grandson was so disappointed, the lady told him they may lay an egg for him on the way back and they didn't, he's been promised one of the first ;D
They are ACE !!!!! we got 4 chickens last Sunday we put them in their pen and "Queenie" (not my choice) laid her first egg ;D. You could of knocked me down with one of thier feathers LOL. I wanted ex-battery hens but the lady who I phoned about them really put me off and I felt bad because I asked if they lay eggs and she told me off !!!! so we got some from a friends reccomendation. They have a penthouse. 17.5 sq m pen for 4 birds. They seem happy enough.
I hope you enjoy. We spend hours watching them.
tomorrow morning will be interesting ;D
can we feed them windfall apples ?
Mine are offered anything in the fruit and vegetable spectrum. They LOVE apples - I generally halve them so that they have something to bite on (so to speak) Their teeth aren't very sharp yet!!!!
I get all the sub standard fruit and vegetables from a small veg shop and they are offered allsorts. They do not like citrus of any sort - root veggies need to be cooked they LOVE melons grapes any and all greens tomatoes (again I break the skin for them) not so keen on mushrooms, strawberries - so basically most things they just love although they take a little while to work out some things like avocados and such like!
Brilliant I bet they are happy birds today!
Best wishes
Old Bird
;D
here we go, and Callum got the first egg ;D
perching is henrietta ;D
Callum insisted we put a pic of where they got to, hence the pooey wall ;D
Woohoo!! Lucky you!! Don't they look great though.
Just back from lifting the rest of my onions, soaked through and shivering. Your pictures have got me smiling again.
get warm and dry, grawc, I believe it's going to be the same tomorrow, our turn to put the 'girls' to bed, I may have more time with them tonight, no grandchildren with me ;D
Manics - they are in pretty good nick in comparison to my friends featherless brood!
They look great and what a lovely egg!
We have had hefty showers here today too! Luckily they don't last too long and then we get sun in between!
Nothing like putting them to bed - nice bit of quiet with a few chooks chatting to you! Perfick!
Old Bird
;D
;D
been to put them to bed, 3 more eggs, lovely..one had a bit of a soft shell so we've put the grit in for them..some even came out of the shed, into the run so they're obviously making themselves at home ;D
managed to dodge the showers ;D
Great stuff Mal! Can I come and visit? ;D ;D
How many hens did you get? Reading the rescue website - you should get an average of 5 eggs daily for every 10 rescue hens. It looks a decent size egg. Who won the fight to eat the first egg ;D
;D ;D ;D
Congrats Manics! The girls look great, am sooooo jealous!
;)
They're great manics and obviously feeling completely at home already. Well done!
any time, anne, always a room spare ;D
kt, we got 18 so we're looking for a few more, Callum got the first, we've just eaten one between us, lovely..can't wait for tomorrow ;D ;D
now have one called ginger, bit short of feathers but pretty with it :)
;D ;D ;D
Lol, one between you? Who carved?
;)
Ray carved, very professional job ;D
one of the other 'little' chicken keepers, daniel ,got one and there's one left..bet we never get a dozen, they'll be eaten as soon as they're laid ;D
got 5 eggs today but one had been eaten, I think the morning crew must've missed one, all been out enjoying the sunshine, scratching around and eating corn/grit so well settled :)
Cool. We're getting some ex-bats on 6th September. Need to build the chicken coop this weekend and go shopping for whatever else we need. Any tips??
good on you, smiley..depends where you're getting them from, ours were from the battery hen welfare trust, not as bad as some, here they are outside, got 8 eggs today so, we're taking 6 on holiday ;D
Oh they look so happy, good on you, enjoy your eggs.
thought I'd update on the chooks..before the moult starts..eggs are down to 12 per day from 16/17 :)
waiting for some worms and things ;D
Quote from: Old bird on August 12, 2008, 09:25:35
Mine are offered anything in the fruit and vegetable spectrum. They LOVE apples - I generally halve them so that they have something to bite on (so to speak) Their teeth aren't very sharp yet!!!!
I get all the sub standard fruit and vegetables from a small veg shop and they are offered allsorts. They do not like citrus of any sort - root veggies need to be cooked they LOVE melons grapes any and all greens tomatoes (again I break the skin for them) not so keen on mushrooms, strawberries - so basically most things they just love although they take a little while to work out some things like avocados and such like!
Brilliant I bet they are happy birds today!
Best wishes
Old Bird
;D
Noooooooo Avocados!!!! They are poisonous to chickens!!
Louise