On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 12:49:18 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

When gardening on heavy acid soil I often collected beach shell grit
for the veg garden. I still do, as a treat for clematis ( spread thick
round the stems, it provides lime and repels slugs). When I was a kid we
used to collect cuttle-fish "bones" from the beach for the budgie to
gnaw for minerals, but I hardly ever see cuttle fish bones on Scottish
beaches. I imagine hens would enjoy those too.


..
My brother has a few batams he is looking to offload, so will be fun to
get back to livestock.

Aaargh..be warned, there is no such thing as "a few" bantams. They
breed faster than rabbits. People who unwisely acquire some, are always
desperately looking for new homes.

Janet

Bantams are a scourge. Their egss are useless.
You need Black Rock or maran Hens