New to keeping chickens

[Im a BusyBee]

We rescued 5 hens last week to save them from being killed but we are new keeping to them. There are 5 but i am certain 1 is a cockeral cos he looks and acts just like one - this only seems to have come out in him since he has been at ours. They were very subdued and cramped up before coming to us and they seem to be coming 'out of their shells' more and more each day. But i would like to know what quantity and what its best to feed them on? Also what from the kitchen i can give them? They are having layers mash in the morning and mixed corn with some grit mixed in with it in the afternoon. We are only getting 1 egg a day and the last few days we have also had a shell less egg - will this change and have a shell on it soon? why does it not have a shell?

[Icntoan]

Welcome to the joy of keeping chickens. I have had my ex-batts since March so am relatively new to this too. I can tell you the following though! Firstly it is possible for a chicken to turn into a cockerel although a sex-change is very very rare!!! Layers mash is good. I use layers pellets. About 2 to 3 handfuls per bird is about right plus a handful of corn per bird.. I always let my chickens have access to grit. You could give them some oystershell too to help harden the egg shells. A couple of my girls lay shell-less eggs. Could be lack of calcium. As far as treats from the kitchen go mine adore grapes, melon, spinach, kale,broccoli, tomatoes, apple, pear, plums, nectarines, strawberries, blueberries.......in fact most things! I don't give them potato, onion or leeks. They are not keen on carrot peelings. If I give them bread I only give a small amount and soak it first. They do lay less in the winter. I am currently getting 4 to 5 eggs from 9 hens. Hope this helps.

[woofgang]

a chicken keeping mate of mine used to hang up a head of lettuce for them to pick at or put out left overs still fresh from the supermarket bags of mixed salad

[society]

Chickens eat / pick at just about anything you give them. Aside from corn, ours got all the left over foods including rice, bread, cakes, pasta and they ate and loved everything.

[Barmaid]

that's very helpful Den, thank you. Looks like a good site. I might call them when I've got some time alone. As for putting her straight much as I would like to, it's her way or the highway.

[Barmaid]

How the flying **** did my answer to a completely different thread end up here?! Apologies.

[society]

Oi Barmaid, think you have the wrong room girlfriend. lol

[wildwood]

Mash can be fed ad lib. Hard feed should be half hand per chook. All the other leftovers etc should be cleared up within a couple of hours or it may go off in the summer. Always plenty of clean water.

If they're ex-battery hens, I doubt if there would be a rooster among them. With just hens there always will be one who will take on the leader's role and may even attempt to mate with the others and try to crow, but this is as far as it goes. They don't actually change sex like fish can.

It can take a while for them to start laying properly, a stressed hen won't lay. Once they have feathered up properly they should lay on average 5 or 6 eggs per week but remember that these may be at the end of their commercially economic life so don't expect miracles.

While they are feathering up they need to make keratin for the feathers so won't have much energy to spare to also form shells on eggs. To be able to utilise calcium in the way of oyster grit etc. they need vitamin E which goes to growing feathers.

it is a big shock for birds to advance from battery life to an ordinary more natural way of living. If they have access to the garden they will improve at an unbelievable rate as there will be countless insects that they can see but we can't. If not, chuck a couple of spades full of garden soil in the run every week. You'll see them scratching and pecking at it for hours. When it gets too much return to garden corner and leave for 6 months, then you have fertile soil for your vegies.