chickens

perfect potion

published on

As those know who follow me on FB, we've had the pox. Scary as it may sound, it's apparently quite common in poultry; spread via mosquitoes, leaving hens immune. Dr Google suggested it'd spread through the flock, but simply to ensure they had good food & water, and plenty of TLC. None of that was difficult here at Hyde Rd!

Further searching led me to a brew that I adapted. The hens LOVE it and with a handful each day for 2 weeks combs were red and pox free, and feathers glowing.

Since then we've cut back to twice weekly feeds as a general tonic (and treat). Even seeing me with trays in hand is enough to send the girls into a state of excitement; and if they're off scratching a call will generally bring them running.

So here's the recipe. This makes enough for about 6 feeds for 6 hens; I freeze in separate lots. Everything is adaptable!

In a big bowl mix together:

2 x 350ml cupfuls of good quality scratch mix - we use the Watson & Williams cracked grains/pellets mix
6 dsp poultry vitamins - we use Perfect Poultry
1 x 350ml cup of rolled oats
(+ any other seeds you have - quinoa etc)
1 grated apple with seeds removed (don't feed chooks apple seeds)
1 good tblsp cod liver oil
1 dsp hemp oil
2 heaped tblsp natural yoghurt (homemade is best!)
2 cooked and crumbled egg yolks

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