Think we may have 'cock'ed up the food - Cocked up - geddit?!

[Doodle2U]

Erm.....we had a big sack of layers pellets.

We bought another big sack of Mixed Poultry Grain (from an agricultural suppliers). We didn't realise it was going to be such a huge back - pay at the counter and a chap brings it out to your car.

Anyway, I told DH to put the mixed poultry grain with the pellets. I meant NEXT to the metal dustbin where we keep the pellets. He misunderstood and tipped the whole sack of grain in on top of the pellets.

Now then - I've tried mixing it all together (not very well but I've got some of the pellets from the bottom up to the top.

Is Mixed Poultry Grain as good as or OK to use as a main food or is it really just meant as a treat? Is it too rich to be given as their main food or will it be ok, mixed with the pellets?

do you mean mixed corn? is that the same?
i used to put corn in with the layers until i realised that they were scraping the layers out of the feeder to get to the corn. there was layers everywhere in the hemcore and i had to scrape the whole run out and start again as the layers goes flourescent green/purple when it gets damp and mouldy.

anyway now i give them scraps and corn in the afternoon and they then eat the layers in the morning.
i dont know what you are going to do with it all mixed together. try feeding them it and see if they scrape the layers out.

Mel, I don't know what mixed corn is!!!
It's called Mixed Poultry Grain and it seems to have cracked corn and lots of other types of grains in it. To be honest, I thought it was going to come in a handy, carrier bag size, not a dirty great, big sack! (Mind, I paid £2 for straw at the counter and nearly passed out with shock when this ruddy big bale of hay was dumped in the back of me car!)

Been watching them this afternoon and they don't seem to be picking the layers out. Just scoffing the lot.

I asked on the Omlet website and one of the answers said something like "it's the chicken equivalent of a high fat/high sugar diet!"

Guess I'll just have to buy more pellets (and a new bin) and start again. A cup of this mixed stuff, every other afternoon - should have enough for about 10 years!

Thanks for answering

I think it's not great to give them too much grain - they won't lay so well, and will get fat! I think your solution of giving plain pellets in the morning, and the mixed grain/pellets in the afternoon! How annoying though! I was REALLY annoyed when dh left the lid off our feed bin and it got SOAKED by a sudden rainstorm. The whole lot was RUINED!

I feed mixed corn & pellets together. Because the birds have a large run and spend time free-ranging, they don't get fat. It certainly hasn't affected their laying as all the hens lay at least 6 days out of 7.

But giving the 'mixed feed' to them in the afternoon, after a pellet breakfast, is a good plan if you don't want them on it all the time.

i would just use it up and start again when it has gone. if they are not making a huge mess like mine did, i wouldnt worry much.
my girls eat alot of veg scraps and corn in the afternoon and they are ok and lay most days and only one fairly old maran is on the plump side but i think old ladies are alowed to have a bigger belly . they are confined to the covered run at the moment as its spring and higher risk bird flu time. i keep them occupied with small animal feeder balls filled with chopped veg and parrot rings hanging from the roof of the run. they wear themselves out jumping from perch to perch having a nibble.