Making a hot breakfast for my hens,,,,,any advice please?

[Ragdoll Lady]

We normally give the girls layers pellets in the morning and either let them into the garden to forage or give them fresh greens on days when they are in the run. They get corn in the afternoons as it helps them keep warm at night. I would like to make them a hot breakfast in the morning as its colder out. The idea was to mix layers mash, porrage oats, mixed corn, a few layers pellets with poultry spice and hot water from the kettle. i made it this morning and they seemed to like it. I just wondered if it was alright to give them it and how wet it neads to be (it was like thick porrige). i dont want to make them ill.

[Ragdoll Lady]

[goodlife]

That sounds fine to me. Layers mash and pellets are 'same' thing just in different form so you don't need to use both, unless you want to. I've made warm breakie from layers pellets too..they soak up the water and make slightly crumblier 'porridge'.
My girls luxury warm treat is layers mash/pellets, handfull of mix corn, thawed peas and/or sweetcorn, odd dog bisquits for  yummy 'dig in price' and what ever suitable left overs I might have in fridge...all 'binded' together into 'slop' with hot water from kettle. Sometimes I add some poultry drink, some seaweed meal or diatomeous earth to give some 'omf' to the food (omf=healthy supplement) ;D
I don't give them this every day..unless is reeeeally cold, day after day like last winter. But if its like now..one day cold other raining..then its 2 or 3 times a week.

[Ragdoll Lady]

Thanks Anja for the information. You know what its like you worry about doing the wrong thing for them.Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Linda

[goodlife]

No..don't worry about doing wrong. You sound like you know what you are doing. We all have moments that little reassurance is in place and I'm assuming that is what you needed.
You have a lovely festive time too and keep them girls spoiled.. ;) ;D What's in the stocking for them?
Mine gets fresh thick layer of straw on the floor to scratch, warm mash and perharps some meal worms too. Mealworms sets them into crazy mood..they are clucking away just like their nursing broody did when they were chicks.  Only time they do that.. ??? It is so distinctive noise that even my OH noticed it and recognized the noise. ;D

[lavenderlux]

When my father used to keep chickens, we would save the peelings from vegetables (eg potatoes, parsnips), boil these until soft and add them to the layers meal mix, also save left over food (but not meat) from meals and add this to the mix;  we would also sometimes be able to get 'stock feed' potatoes, and these would also be boiled until soft and added in. 

[Hi_Hoe]

 ;D How 'bout scrambled eggs........... ::)

[Melbourne12]

;D How 'bout scrambled eggs........... ::)

I'm given to believe that they do like them very much.  But doesn't seem right, somehow.

Our favoured warm breakfasts (not hot) are made with EITHER porridge OR cous cous.  To the hot cereal I'll add a decent scoop of frozen sweetcorn, which brings the temperature down, and a couple of tablespoons of live yoghurt.

And yes, they make that "Oh my goodness, this is so delicious" noise, clustered round the treats bowl.  It's gone within a very few minutes.

ETA: I should say that they only get this on genuinely frosty mornings, and they're not laying during the winter, so it doesn't adversely affect egg formation.

[Sparkly]

Mine liked porridge made with boiling water. Then I stir in greek yoghurt, mealworms and mashed banana. :)

[Ragdoll Lady]

Guys some of your receipes are making my mouth water, i think i will come and live with your hens!
The girls will be getting mealworms and probably something wooden and hanging to play with.

[mue]

I give mine on a morning the following:

ex batt crumb mix with grit with either meal worms/ honey/apple. Mix into a paste with hot water from a flask.

They go in the sulk if I don't give them it on a morning or evening when the weather is really cold.  Not tried porridge flakes yet.

[Sparkly]

We made our chickens christmas dinner porridge by boiling up all the peelings and then blitzing into a soup and thickening with porridge.  ;D

[mue]

I like the sound of the Christmas dinner.  Make that the next time we have a full dinner.