Sunday 18 December 2011

Cabbage and mash - for the hens

hens feeding on mash Dec 11 1

Our hens like their greens! The neighbouring allotment holders leave bags of various greens for us that they have rejected for human consumption. Our hens cheerfully chomp their way through them. There are however some leaves which they find a bit tough, typically large cabbage and sprout leaves. We have discovered that the hens will eat them chopped. We make a mash with oatmeal and then add in the chopped green leaves.

Come the spring, we will be feeding them on grass, dandelions and clover which we found, during the mild autumn growing in abundance near the allotment. This is a free source of food. All we have to do is pick it for them and put it into the chicken run. They will kindly convert these greens into protein for us.

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