- Thread starter
- #11
- Mar 16, 2008
- 131
- 1
- 131
Thanks so much y'all! Knowing I'm in good company helps.
My flock is free range so I'm hoping that they aquire enough protein eating bugs. They are really funny about eating commercial feeds. I tried layer pellets and they flat out refuse them. Just left them in a pile to rot! They like scratch (but not much protein there, mine runs 10%), and they'll nibble on the chick starter left behind after I move my replacement pullets that are in a tractor (unmedicated feed, so it's ok for the hens to consume), but otherwise they like to forage and will eat household scraps (and they get a couple big buckets of scraps a day, we're a family of 6). Well, they like my old mares expensive high fat pellets too (15% protein, the chickens act like they are candy).
I guess I'll just get used to naked hens!
Big Red (the roo) does seem to have favorites. He also has a hard time catching my Americauna hens (they are quick and crafty, smarter than your average chicken for sure) so they have all or most of their back feathers.
I have 18 pullets in the tractor that will go out into the main flock in stages. Maybe once the flock is bigger he won't have the engergy to be such a stud!!!
I've also been considering locking him up part of the day so he can't do his duties all day long, and over and over. The poor hens... they see him coming and either run or hunker down with a look of abject misery on their little faces.
Liz
My flock is free range so I'm hoping that they aquire enough protein eating bugs. They are really funny about eating commercial feeds. I tried layer pellets and they flat out refuse them. Just left them in a pile to rot! They like scratch (but not much protein there, mine runs 10%), and they'll nibble on the chick starter left behind after I move my replacement pullets that are in a tractor (unmedicated feed, so it's ok for the hens to consume), but otherwise they like to forage and will eat household scraps (and they get a couple big buckets of scraps a day, we're a family of 6). Well, they like my old mares expensive high fat pellets too (15% protein, the chickens act like they are candy).
I guess I'll just get used to naked hens!
I have 18 pullets in the tractor that will go out into the main flock in stages. Maybe once the flock is bigger he won't have the engergy to be such a stud!!!
I've also been considering locking him up part of the day so he can't do his duties all day long, and over and over. The poor hens... they see him coming and either run or hunker down with a look of abject misery on their little faces.
Liz
