Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi,

I should have our first hens by the end of the weekend. They'll be fed the same food as they are on now. I'd like to have some treats lined up, I know they like hanging greenery for added interest and they'll be worms as henhouse run on veggy patch. They are coming up to POL age and have been in with others loose but in a barn up until now. No treats, particular attention, daylight, views etc. Can anybody recommend what would I should get in and maybe how to present it, to really make them happy while they get to know each other and their surroundings.

Thanks

Hi,

I give my girls a head of broccoli about once a week. I tie it to their run and they peck it down to the stalk in about 2 days. Mine also like sultanas, porridge oats and if you're feeling really generous, dried meal worms! It is recommended that you don't give them treats until the afternoon which I tend to do, except for the broccoli. It sounds like their new home will be a super treat to them anyway, good luck with them!

Hi mine get a bit of stale bread (not too much or they can get the runs) most days, also kitchen scraps, like the end bits of cucumber, overripe tomatoes, fruit peelings, grapes, raisins, and they love the end bits cut from strawberries.

If it's cold I make them porridge (water not milk) and some days I do extra pasta when we have it and they get the remains (no sauce on)


janeyo

mine just love sweetcorn - cheap tins for 15p from tesco - just a small handful a day, they go wild for it.

Hi,
Wow thanks ever so much for the replies. I'll print them off and keep them.

Beth

If you have a green house, spend 10 mins with a torch collecting any slugs you may have the mis-fortune to have, stick em in a sealed tub then dish them up in the morning. Treat for you both.

Hi Forget-me-not

My chooks adore meal worms and when I can I buy them live ones instead of dried but they love both.

They also go nuts for a slice of brown bread mashed up in some bio-live natural yoghurt (which is apparently good for their digestion).

Enjoy your chickens

Debs

I hang a large white cabbage to the branch I have in their run. The absolutely love it. It also gives them something to peck....which is important if hens stay in a run for the most part of the day. Late afternoons, I give them a handful of corn each.

Hi,

Wow, I cannot wait to try all these treats. The fact that these hens have had not treats or special attention before makes it even more exciting. The slugs are just arriving on the veg patch where there run will be, after years of morning slug tours - I relish this. The next question slug-wise would be can they have too many? I have some fab neighbours who are very excited about the chooks. (Offers to look after them when we're on holiday already received.) If they donated their veg patch slugs too in return for eggs, could the hens get...too over weight or imbalanced digestion if their diet was otherwise carefully maintained? Also I love the yoghurt treat, it makes such good sense but I never thought of it. I'd heard of hanging greens for enrichment as well as treats but wasn't sure which greens. Thanks ever so much.

Too many slugs can give them a touch of the trots, but shouldn't do loads of harm. A site I have found helpful is the Omlet one. Got loads of fun advice for chook keepers, I found the bit with pics and descriptions of healthy and not so healthy poop very helpful.

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updated 14 May 2008