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Tip of the Day - 27 Apr
Feeding hens
Many GIYers keep hens in the garden as they like the idea of having an animal in the garden that contributes to the life cycle - hens eat scraps from the kitchen which they convert in to manure, this gets composted and then added to the vegetable patch, which produces more food which then goes back to the kitchen and so on. Of course it's a bonus that they also produce lots and lots of lovely eggs at the same time! Though hens are excellent foragers (eating up grass, slugs, snails, worms and other grubs) and eat many household scraps, they need a balanced diet in order to be healthy and produce eggs with firm shells. You will therefore need to buy feed for them - most GIYers buy a grain mix in the form of either pellets or mash. The problem with mash is that hens can often pick out the bits they like, leaving behind what they don't like. With pellets they have to consume the whole lot. These pellets typically contain grain (usually oats, wheat, barley), soya and oils - it can be a challenge to find brands that use organic and non-GM produce but they are worth seeking out.
Organic feed will be roughly twice as expensive as non-organic (approx €20 per bag) but at least you are guaranteed that your hens are not ingesting any pesticides, insecticides or fertilisers which may be present in non-organic food. And remember that whatever your hens are ingesting, you are ingesting too via the eggs. A 25kg bag of feed will last a couple of months too so it won't break the bank. Most manufacturers make different blends for different age birds. When you first get chicks they will need a starter crumb. After a month or so you can move them to a "grower's" pellet before finally moving them on to a "layers" pellet when they are about 15 weeks. In cold weather, an evening snack of wheat keeps their crops full. Hens that are confined to a run must have their diet supplemented with oyster shell (which supplies calcium for eggs), grit and greens. Don’t forget that all hens need fresh water each day (and they drink lots of it). Never leave feed lying around particularly at night time as it will attract vermin - put out as much as they need and store the rest in a bin with a tight-fitting lid.
Article - Stopping Broodiness in Hens
Blogs - Speckled hens hatching habits?, Hens eggs weird & wonderful or what?
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