Thanks, all for the replies!
I usually hold the greens for them for a little while, until I have to go to work, so they get to pull pieces off sometimes. I'll probably keep cutting up the stringy things. They are still pretty young, and I also have a crossbeak. All the (safe) vegetable tops that we get in our CSA box go to them.
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I usually hold the greens for them for a little while, until I have to go to work, so they get to pull pieces off sometimes. I'll probably keep cutting up the stringy things. They are still pretty young, and I also have a crossbeak. All the (safe) vegetable tops that we get in our CSA box go to them.
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When you give your chickens greens, do you just give them whole leaves, or do you cut it up? Do you put it in something, or just toss the leaves in? Mine seem to have a little trouble with frond-like greens like carrot tops or fennel fronds... but maybe they just don't like those, or they haven't figured out how to eat them properly. I caught one girl running around with the tail end of a carrot top sticking out of her mouth, the rest down her throat...
Also, do you give them beet greens? I've been looking at this website to see if I should give them things: http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html, and it talks about sugar beet leaves, but doesn't say anything about other beets or chard.
You know, I am kind of curious too what everyone says, although I think I know the answer.
When they free range usually the greens they eat are growing in the ground and when they pick at them they get a piece to pull off. A much smaller piece. When I give my girls some of the greens they pick at them and since it isn't growing and stuck in the ground they end up with a whole long strand which they choke down.
My concern when they do that is a sour/impacted crop because they can be hard to break down in long strings.
I have taken to cutting up anything overly long with scissors before I give it to them. I have also take a handful of the long wheat grass and held it tight in my hand with the ends sticking out and they go crazy picking at it and pulling off small strips. I put it on the ground and they pick at it much less because they get the long strands and don't like them as well. The pick one up and shake their head trying to get it to break off and it doesn't work.
Anyway, that is just my observations.
Edited to say: I only do this with the long stringy things like the carrot tops or long grasses.
Kale, beat greens, Chard, collard and other dark greens are very good for them. cabbage is like tomatoes--they can eat the head but not the leaves of the plant.
For the greens I do not chop them up. Chickens like to work. I do not remove the core from the cabbage so they have to work to break it up. I have been doing this with them since they were 6 weeks old.
Actually they are a bit mad at me because I have not gotten the Nappa Cabbage out to them yet! I have been working on a little tractor grow out pen for the Australorps--They have been walking the fence squawking at me.
I better get that cabbage to them soon!
I'm sure Ron will answer, but we give ours chard (they love it) and various types of Chinese greens. If I had any, would also feed beet and turnip tops, collards, mustard greens and broccoli. Some of ours like grape leaves too. I worry about them getting an impacted crop if the stringy greens (like carrot tops) are too long, so we usually chop those or tie to a fence so they can pull smaller pieces off.
Edited to add:
Haha, Ron beat me to it!
Yes, beet greens are very good for them. But be forewarned so you don't panic - the next day you will see red poop everywhere! It's from the beets.
I feed mine beet greens, chard, weeds, carrot greens (they figure out to step on the stalks first), broccoli greens, they steal grape leaves on their own that come through the fence, clover, parsley, and any other dark green I find.
I need to go weed my garden.
Apparently mine aren't that smart......Like Alpine mine run around with them sticking out of their mouth Halfway down their throat.
i mostly give mine kale, sometimes other greens as well (beet or radish tops, lettuce, etc) -- and they have similarly learned to stand on the kale leaf & rip off a bite-sized piece. although if i have time i'll usually stand there with the greens held tightly in my hand while they peck at them, just to make it easy at first.
i once gave them a head of green cabbage, and the outer leaves were too tough for them to get through! but they were still teenagers then, i should try it again.
Yes, they get better at ripping up things when the get older.
It is almost time for Pumpkins. I cut a hole in the side of the pumpkin and they will eat the inside of the pumpkin from the hole. Very cool to see.
e . I wasn't worried about the ugly thing, and I won't tell him you said that. 
. Those Showgirls are something else!! I got rid of my Silkies, because they were broody ALL THE TIME, and they seemed to encourage all they other girls to go broody too (peer pressure, I guess) I want eggs, not cranky, growling hens....
