I have bought some Battles Poultry Spice for my Hens, it tells me what amount to give the birds, I need to know how often I give it them is it at every feed or once a week once a fortnight can someone please help me
Hello Kevin
I would be interested to hear others opinions on this stuff. I bought some years ago and only used it once after reading that it wasn't much use. Seemed to be that if your hens had pellets or mash and access to fresh greens they didn't really need anything else! Does anyone use it?
John
Last edited by John on Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg I am a man and the world is my urinal
Hi Chantal,
It's called Battles Poultry Spice, it is a general tonic, increases egg supply and keeps the bird's strong and healthy and helps when moulting, thats what it says on the tin.
It certainly won't do them any harm, but having used it in the past, I'm not sure if it does them a lot of good. If your birds are not totally free-range, it will perk them up during moulting. The reason I don't bother with it any more is that when my birds are moulting (as now) they are out in the sun, eating fresh grass and whatever vegetables I allow them, and they look as perky as might be.
As for how often to use it, I would think the recommended amount once or twice a week.
Alan
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg) Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
I bought some poultry spice years ago too and I used to give them a sprinkle on their pellets about twice a week during the winter and also when they are moulting. Can't say I noticed much difference either. HOWEVER, I now use Battles poultry drink, added to their water once a week or so, and when I have one looking a bit down and have noticed that this really does seem to make a difference. I had some little chicks just coming off heat a couple of weeks back, and one looked really puffed up in the morning, so I added a few drops of Battles poultry drink to its water and by teatime it was looking fine. I added a few drops daily to the chicks' water for one week.
Poultry Spice is great for giving them a boost, ie when moulting, if they seem off colour at all and you cant put your finger on why. When the weather is prolonged wet, dark etc, gice for 2-3 days about once a month in the winter and it should imporve their feathers, health, egg production.
It does seem to wok, I have used it for years. But only if I think they need it. Yo have to know your flock and decide for yourself.
Think of it as like a multi vitimin or cod liver oil supplement!
I used it for the first time recently because of a moulting bird who looked decidedly peaky. She perked up but unexpectedly the egg production doubled from 2 to 4 eggs from 5 hens and I was resigned to that being low until the light levels went up. so I'm going to keep on with it during the winter. Do I gather you use it about twice a week?
is it at every feed or once a week once a fortnight can someone please help me 
