Interesting Behavior Related to Feeding Around Piles of Eats

[Labradors]

Someone will have to conduct this experiment and explain it to those of us who do not have separate ingredients to try for ourselves. It would be interesting to know. Too bad it's such a big secret .

My chickens don't like corn and actually toss it out of the bowl. They're not keen on dried peas either.

 

[centrarchid]

You guys are getting to be no fun. What is going on likely has nothing to do with nutrition, rather it is how the chicken's mind perceives items as potential food. They appear hardwired to look for contrast where things that stand out are preferentially consumed. If everything looks the same, then they like to scratch which is the problem part related to feed wastage.

You might be able to make piles of scratch and a complete crumple next to each other to see similar response. Piles need to be touching. It could also explain apparent preference for scratch grains.

 

[aart]

I see you aren't going to tell us then. Another cryptic thread

You might be able to make piles of scratch and a complete crumple next to each other to see similar response. Piles need to be touching. It could also explain apparent preference for scratch grains.

No doubt mine would go for the scratch.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You guys are getting to be no fun. What is going on likely has nothing to do with nutrition, rather it is how the chicken's mind perceives items as potential food. They appear hardwired to look for contrast where things that stand out are preferentially consumed. If everything looks the same, then they like to scratch which is the problem part related to feed wastage.

You might be able to make piles of scratch and a complete crumple next to each other to see similar response. Piles need to be touching. It could also explain apparent preference for scratch grains.

Hmmm....I think I might get what you are saying

I know my adults will go for the scratch first, that's a given. But they do eat certain things out of that mix first - all of them go for the oats, barley and whatever those other things are, then they will eat the corn.
IF I add some sunflower hearts, those are hands down first choice (with adults).

Is that what you mean?

 

[Labradors]

That's really interesting centrarchid . You probably forget that some of us are not nearly as knowledgeable as you about chickens, and we need you to explain what you are getting at.

So perhaps my chickens are leaving the peas and corn because they are larger than the rest, yet they also leave the powder at the bottom.....

Linda