Picky hens!!

[WhenInRhome]

My girls have got to be the pickiest hens ever! They do not like cabbage (I hung some from a string for fun) or most veggies. They love grass, watermelon, grass, mealworms and grass. Seriously, they love grass. It is their favorite. I feed them chick start because they will not eat the layer pellets. I have run out of chick start and they refused to eat. They do not even eat their scratch anymore! It is so hot now all of my grass is either dead or not growing tall enough for me to pull it for them. I cannot afford to feed them watermelon and mealworms and feel bad if I am only giving them chick start. They seem bored and just stand around unless they have something to eat.

I read somewhere that you can put a few landscape lights in the run and that will attract bugs at night for them to get in the morning. I spread some straw and put 2 lights in a few nights ago. Hopefully it is working.

I have noticed a difference in the eggs when they have treats and when they dont. I went out of town 2 weeks ago and my neighbor watched my chickens. She has chickens too. She said she was getting 1-2 eggs a day from them. There are 4 BOs that are laying and 7 that have not started laying yet. She was just giving them scratch and feed. For a few days after I got back I was getting the same. After a few days of getting treats several times a day it was back to mostly 4 eggs a day. My normal routine is my hubby lets them out at 6:30 and throws in 2 cups of scratch. I go out around 11 and give them some mealworms and fruit. Then around 6 I go out and give them some leftover greens from the garden and more fruit.


It is getting expensive to feed them!

 

[bucky52]

Mine are spoiled. But That's my fault. I buy grapes, watermelon and meal worms for them. But I also make sure they have their flock raiser crumbles. They are enjoying the corn ,sunflower seeds,tomato's and cucumber from the garden. I also pick up some bird seed .and toss that in with their meal worms. My girls are pampered and spoiled by this chicken mama.

 

[WhenInRhome]

Mine are spoiled. But That's my fault. I buy grapes, watermelon and meal worms for them. But I also make sure they have their flock raiser crumbles. They are enjoying the corn ,sunflower seeds,tomato's and cucumber from the garden. I also pick up some bird seed .and toss that in with their meal worms. My girls are pampered and spoiled by this chicken mama.

I never thought about bird seed. Is that good for them? I have a 50 pound bag from costco

I need a way to cut the mealworms. I buy it at the feed store and it is $8 for a smallish bag that they would eat daily. I try and spread it out over at least 3 days. The hubby loves the eggs but says it would be so much cheaper to just buy organic eggs!

 

[Mutt Farm]

I never thought about bird seed. Is that good for them? I have a 50 pound bag from costco

I need a way to cut the mealworms. I buy it at the feed store and it is $8 for a smallish bag that they would eat daily. I try and spread it out over at least 3 days. The hubby loves the eggs but says it would be so much cheaper to just buy organic eggs!

Hi! I'm in So Cal with spoiled BO girls too. 5 mos. I guess scratch is not a good treat when it's hot ( makes them hotter) and has low protein. Right? Mealworms? $$$. I give a little handful of freeze dried a day, good protein. Mine didn't like raw veggies. I sliced and boiled some yellow and zucchini squash, chilled it overnight, sprinkled FD meal worms, they mowed it down. Now I just chip it in the blender raw. Mine LOVE grass too! Grass clippings in So Cal in Extreme drought is certainly a treat! I offer free choice alfalfa hay for protein and greens. They mow through it. I just keep a flake available in the run. I'd say for my 15, a bale lasts 2 mos. CHEAP! Also, instead of scratch, I'm using rolled oats. They loved wet oatmeal, so I bought a bag of rolled horse oats. Cheap! The complete crumbles is really what they should be eating cause it's balanced, so I don't go crazy with the extras.

Edit to say what I forgot: Pellets. I guess if you have a ton of birds they are easier. Mine ate way better when I switched to crumbles vs mash. Bird seed. A guru out here swears by using a little so I do.

 

[rides2far]

I buy my meal worms on Amazon. You can find some that ship for free if you shop around. I also give my birds a small amount of bird seed. They love it. I bought some expensive scratch, & they wouldn't eat it, so my horses get it. The bird seed is waaay cheaper & they like it.

 

[bucky52]

meal worms are pricey.I order them on line.Eleven pound bag last a couple of months.I have cut back on how much I give them.I had read a article that to much protein will cause liver damage.I have never thought about giving mine bird seed.but a friend said he has always gave their chickens bird seed for a treat.and he has been keeping chickens a lot longer than I have.My hens love little seeds.I put some straw down in their covered run during the winter.They were all over it picking at the little seeds.i don't give them a lot.just sprinkle on the ground.