Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

moominyak

Hi happycrafter,

So sorry to hear about your cockerel

mardatha

Ok. The run is done, the coop is done, I have to collect Hinge & Bracket on sunday teatime. I still have to get layers pellets. But I wanted to use up kitchen scraps on them as well. But what do you give them? Do you cook it ?

steady__eddie

If you've got Sky or Freesat, (or a decent download limit on broadband), there's a new programme just started from the horticultural channel. It started 13 days ago and there's a new programme every fortnight, the next new one is tomorrow at 9 a.m.
I missed it when it was launched 13 days ago but it is repeated quite often throughout the week. On the first programme, there was a 5 minute slot about chooks, food and care etc.
Sally A over on the Greenfingered forum kindly supplied the following listings :-

Sky 166 & Freesat 402:
Sunday 9am ¦ Repeated Monday 2pm, Wednesday 2pm and Friday 9pm
Sky 189:
Sunday 10am ¦ Repeated Monday 3pm, Wednesday 3pm and Friday 10pm
YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/horticulturalchannel

There may, or there again, may not be another item on chooks on the next programme tomorrow but I've set my alarm clock for 5 to 9 just in case.

Red_Doe

mardatha wrote: »

Ok. The run is done, the coop is done, I have to collect Hinge & Bracket on sunday teatime. I still have to get layers pellets. But I wanted to use up kitchen scraps on them as well. But what do you give them? Do you cook it ?

Steer clear of meat scraps (though chooks DO eat meat given the opportunity) and I just throw all my veg peelings, leftovers etc into a `chicks pot` and when it`s full (it`s small, so usually only a day or three) I add some water and cook it up like a stew, let it cool and they love it!
The law actually states that we aren`t allowed to feed hens scraps from our kitchen nowadays (thanks to the BSE scare some time back etc), this I was told by the chap from DEFRA who inspects my work premises twice a year.
However, let them try to police that.....

ETA I also add in dried crushed eggshell from our breakfast boiled eggs.

RebekahR

I really enjoyed that chicken clip. Thank you.

Mojisola

Chickens are omnivores - they will eat anything they can get. Watch them with grubs, worms, snails, slugs, frogs, toads and mice!

Ours get all sorts of scraps from the house. You'll soon learn what they prefer to eat. Our hens have any leftovers that the dog doesn't want. If you want to get them sitting on your knee, tempt them with a few sunflower seeds or currants!

They do need grit and some form of calcium. You can buy oyster shell or bake the egg shells and crush them before feeding them back to the hens. Don't give them egg shells in their natural state - there's always one in a flock who will make the connection with their eggs and start eating them and that can be hard to stop.

bexbex

Hiya
I've been on this post before and put pictures of my girls up. Love reading about everyones chicks.
Mine have had cottage cheese today for dinner and made a right mess with it.
Wendy lost some toes in the winter (she got frost bite AND scaly leg mite at the same time) and now looks like the stump area has bumble foot on it. I'm treating it at the minute with purple spray but she might need some antibiotics for it. Will have to see how it goes. She gets around ok and is always the first there when treats are being handed out.

JillS_2

Red_Doe wrote: »

Steer clear of meat scraps (though chooks DO eat meat given the opportunity) and I just throw all my veg peelings, leftovers etc into a `chicks pot` and when it`s full (it`s small, so usually only a day or three) I add some water and cook it up like a stew, let it cool and they love it!
The law actually states that we aren`t allowed to feed hens scraps from our kitchen nowadays (thanks to the BSE scare some time back etc), this I was told by the chap from DEFRA who inspects my work premises twice a year.
However, let them try to police that.....

ETA I also add in dried crushed eggshell from our breakfast boiled eggs.

Why do you cook it if it's just veg?

Agree with you about policing the ban.

Gigervamp

My understanding of the ban is that it only applies if you sell the eggs, it's to do with traceability.

I've found that my girls love carrot peelings, cherry tomatoes and corn on the cob (raw) but won't touch green veg such as brocolli or cabbage. They also love porridge (made with water) and bread, although I've read that you shouldn't give them too much bread.

We had a couple of bbq's last year and our blackrock, Gracie, became rather adept at hopping up onto the picnic bench and stealing burger buns, whilst the others waited below to help devour said stolen buns! :rotfl:

mardatha

Well I collected my two last night at dusk, was dark by the time we got home and I just put the box into the coop open. At 6am I opened the coop and took the box out from under them LOL . Put food water outside the coop door in line of sight, but so far they are sitting tight. We did have an exciting wee episode of two heads popping in out like a demented cuckoo clock but they seem to have decided they dont like the look of things and have gone back to bed for a long lie.