Cooking for chickens

[Perris]

i am interested in these recipes. My two girls will not touch layers. On another forum there was chat about what chickens got fed before layers came along and people were saying corn, veg, that sort of thing - but they were free ranging. My two have access to grass which is healthy right now but there isnt much - plus large yard with gravel, shrubs etc - so they are not confined but I wouldnt say they really free range as such. So I am worried about them. Someone suggested putting down pellets and leave them to it, they'll eat em when theyre hungry but they havent touched them for 4 days and I havent fed them anything else. Someone else said try just plain wheat. What is gram flour? Is that wheat? Sorry, I am in the UK and names not always the same. Also in the first recipe there is baking powder but isnt that salt in some form which I thought we shouldnt give them? But maybe its a tiny amount. Would value any help. Girls not ill (one is recovering but doing well) and I really do love them. Hate for them to go hungry but know I cant just give treats like I used to. Thanks

You can give them most real foods @Scatty Hatti . Can I suggest you have a look at my articles on wholesome homemade feed? In the meantime, try offering them a tin of sardines. Or some porridge with milk. Or plain natural yogurt. Or banana. Just a little; only the bold will try it to start, probably. But the other will soon follow when she sees the first getting stuck in.

 

[Scatty Hatti]

Thanks Chaos Mum, Thats good, I can get chickpea flour here. But I am now thinking...if I get this amazing recipe - cakes based on chickpea flour and some other bits they might like inside rolled out to my two girls will that be OK? Or will too much flour make them obese? One of my two got very fat recently and I have only just managed to slim her down. I am aiming at replacing layer feed completely....
No need for them to lay eggs anymore......just want them healthy and happy with whatever decent food they need to live out their days.

 

[Scatty Hatti]

And thanks Perris. Arent the sardines really salty?Or do I rinse them? Have tried banana and yoghurt in the past and they are not that crazy about them. I think I have the fussiest pair in the world.

 

[Perris]

Those do look good. I am curious, what do you normally use gram flour/chickpea flour for? You mentioned it needed using up so I assumed you had it in your pantry for other reasons.

I bought it initially to add to various recipes involving flour to improve the protein content and increase flavour. And there are some asian recipes that require it. But I didn't use it quick enough!

 

[Perris]

And thanks Perris. Arent the sardines really salty?Or do I rinse them? Have tried banana and yoghurt in the past and they are not that crazy about them. I think I have the fussiest pair in the world.

They are fine if they are just one thing among many offered. Your birds aren't fussy so much as not in need of the nutrients that were in what you were offering at the time. If they've been on layers pellets recently they probably need more protein and the micronutrients required for body maintenance (as opposed to egg production).

 

[Perris]

here's another recipe that's great for chickens (although like others above, written for people):
https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/making-more-of-your-meal-porridge/