feeding out from the pen.

[Kes]

We've had our poults a while now and shortly they will begin to leave the pen and to check out the local environment.

 

We find they tend to use ditches and dense hedgerows to start wandering, which determine the directions they go in and where its best to set out feeders to direct the birds to cover crops or main drives.

Traditionally we have used wheat for the majority of feeders, for cost and practical reasons but with the costs of wheat and trying to get the best product to keep the birds in close what do others use?

Barley seems an alternative and pellets if you have a business in poultry to 'hide' the costs but what about maize mixtures or even commercial seeds like Niger/millet?

All the old time keeers had personal recipes with spices - the modern equivalent being bird-pull or aniseed. I dont like aniseed but anyone have a favoured mix?

Thanks in advance for any replies

 

Also with so much maize, do you find the birds get hoovered up by forage harvesters unless the driver goes slowly ?

[larp]

you will find pheasant dont like barley i keep my feeders toped up with wheat .straw rides i have feeders on them and allso hand feed a wild bird mix with aniseed mixed in it for a treat twice a week the rest of the time i hand feed wheat cracked maze also i use birdpuller in the feeders

[Kes]

Thanks Larp. We are trying wild bird mix with aniseed and straw rides in the pens. The birds do seem the rides and seeds - I'm not sure the aniseed makes a huge difference. Birds are stay in the pens longer this year.

Cheers

[highseas]

ahh we dont use out fancy, the big thing is how long have they been in the pen for? we feed a 50/50 mix of pellets and wheat for a couple of weeks with wheat spun on the roads and tracks to the drives they will very soon wean on to wheat and not loot a pellet which is god for reliseing red legs as i like to have them on pellets for a fortnight after relise