A Bielefelder Thread !

[DesertChic]

You will be my chickens savior! I guess it is the carbs that raise their temps? How about peas, or should I stick to fruits?

Corn has uniquely thermogenic properties for chickens, and unique nutritional impacts on them as well. When I was first getting into poultry keeping I sought out all of the old books on poultry husbandry I could find and one of them had extensive information on experiments conducted in the early 1900s using different feed grains. Of all of them, corn was the most detrimental to a chicken's health, but was also the cheapest and most convenient grain available here in the U.S.,which is probably the reason it's so widely used. A small amount of corn in their diet doesn't seem to have ill effects and can even be beneficial, especially in colder climates, but the more corn you add the more problems arise. The book included black and white photos of chickens fed exclusively one type of grain or another and the ones on corn-only diets were positively tragic. That, along with my research on the ill effects of corn on human health have comprised my personal choice to avoid corn as much as possible, even in chicken feed. Luckily I was able to find a local feed that's corn-free, soy-free, and canola-free.

Peas are fine, and the extra protein in peas can be beneficial to them too. And they love fruits. You just don't want to give them too much sugar via fruits. Mine will just about do back flips for watermelon, LOL. And I have one Biel hen that will launch herself from five feet away to get to an apple core before any of the other birds.

I even sometimes cook up some rice and then chill it to feed it to them in the hotter parts of the day. They LOVE it. And if I have leftover fried rice from one of our Chinese takeout dinners I'll even chill that for them. They get extra protein via the scrambled eggs and pork in the fried rice and sing my praises for days.

I've even chilled containers of their moist, fermented feed for late afternoon feedings...just to keep from overdoing it on the treats.

 

[Coop de Grass]

@DesertChic I came across some of those old poultry articles and assumed that the info in them was outdated. That will teach me!

My girls love watermelon as well, and if there is ever left over anything, they usually get it. Never thought about chilling the rice before! Going to do that from now on!

Watermelon time

 

[Faraday40]

Everytime I hear someone mention watermelon I begin to laugh to myself. Not sure if I mentioned my recent watermelon experience here, but here's the story:

After a party, I decided to give the chickens a big treat = Watermelon. I gave some to the younger ones in the chicken tractor who after a few min were happily eating their melon balls. The bulk of the watermelon went to my adult flock. I had my camera ready to capture the feeding frenzy, but to my surprise, they seemed unimpressed & actually avoided the watermelon. What??! Not eat a treat!! Silly chickens. I hand fed them a few drippy pieces which they ate, but none even nibbled on the huge melon. I needed to finish cleaning up & left, but when I returned 2 hours later, still no nibbles. Then it dawned on my that my fancy watermelon treat may actually be scary to the chickens. My artistic sister carved it into a basket with pointy edges. On it's side, it may have looked like a giant, open, predator's mouth. So perhaps that's why they were afraid to put their heads near it. LOL I smashed it up & they began to eat.

Here's my terrifying watermelon:

a close up

 

[DesertChic]

Everytime I hear someone mention watermelon I begin to laugh to myself. Not sure if I mentioned my recent watermelon experience here, but here's the story:

After a party, I decided to give the chickens a big treat = Watermelon. I gave some to the younger ones in the chicken tractor who after a few min were happily eating their melon balls. The bulk of the watermelon went to my adult flock. I had my camera ready to capture the feeding frenzy, but to my surprise, they seemed unimpressed & actually avoided the watermelon. What??! Not eat a treat!! Silly chickens. I hand fed them a few drippy pieces which they ate, but none even nibbled on the huge melon. I needed to finish cleaning up & left, but when I returned 2 hours later, still no nibbles. Then it dawned on my that my fancy watermelon treat may actually be scary to the chickens. My artistic sister carved it into a basket with pointy edges. On it's side, it may have looked like a giant, open, predator's mouth. So perhaps that's why they were afraid to put their heads near it. LOL I smashed it up & they began to eat.

Here's my terrifying watermelon:

a close up

Okay, that's hilarious! I does look like a giant mouth ready to gobble them right up, LOL!

 

[UGLYFOOT]

     Okay, that's hilarious! I does look like a giant mouth ready to gobble them right up, LOL! 

Ha ha X2!! I literally LOL'D on that one.

 

[Cynthia12]

Everytime I hear someone mention watermelon I begin to laugh to myself. Not sure if I mentioned my recent watermelon experience here, but here's the story:

After a party, I decided to give the chickens a big treat = Watermelon. I gave some to the younger ones in the chicken tractor who after a few min were happily eating their melon balls. The bulk of the watermelon went to my adult flock. I had my camera ready to capture the feeding frenzy, but to my surprise, they seemed unimpressed & actually avoided the watermelon. What??! Not eat a treat!! Silly chickens. I hand fed them a few drippy pieces which they ate, but none even nibbled on the huge melon. I needed to finish cleaning up & left, but when I returned 2 hours later, still no nibbles. Then it dawned on my that my fancy watermelon treat may actually be scary to the chickens. My artistic sister carved it into a basket with pointy edges. On it's side, it may have looked like a giant, open, predator's mouth. So perhaps that's why they were afraid to put their heads near it. LOL I smashed it up & they began to eat.

Here's my terrifying watermelon:

a close up

I always have scaredy cat pullets of the watermelon at first..then they get a taste..which they give a try once the older ones dig in.

Ha..what's this??




Oh! Ahhh....

 

[Cynthia12]

Ha ha X2!! I literally LOL'D on that one.

X's 3! I wouldn't want to stick my head in there if I were a chicken.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Everytime I hear someone mention watermelon I begin to laugh to myself. Not sure if I mentioned my recent watermelon experience here, but here's the story:

After a party, I decided to give the chickens a big treat = Watermelon. I gave some to the younger ones in the chicken tractor who after a few min were happily eating their melon balls. The bulk of the watermelon went to my adult flock. I had my camera ready to capture the feeding frenzy, but to my surprise, they seemed unimpressed & actually avoided the watermelon. What??! Not eat a treat!! Silly chickens. I hand fed them a few drippy pieces which they ate, but none even nibbled on the huge melon. I needed to finish cleaning up & left, but when I returned 2 hours later, still no nibbles. Then it dawned on my that my fancy watermelon treat may actually be scary to the chickens. My artistic sister carved it into a basket with pointy edges. On it's side, it may have looked like a giant, open, predator's mouth. So perhaps that's why they were afraid to put their heads near it. LOL I smashed it up & they began to eat.

Here's my terrifying watermelon:
a close up

still laughing 5 minutes later!

 

[Faraday40]

Yes. My chickens love pumpkins & the neighbor's old Jack-o-lanterns never seemed to bother them. I guess my sister's watermelon basket was just too scary for them. It's been a couple weeks & every time we speak, she still asks me if they've forgiven her yet for that horrifying piece of fruit. LOL

 

[Outpost JWB]

The past 2 years, I've stopped at people's houses and asked them when they are done decorating with their pumpkins (Halloween, Thanksgiving) if they do not have a plan for their pumpkins, winter squash, and hay or straw, I "volunteer" to pick it up. My chickens LOVE pumpkins. They do love watermelon too, but a melon like that one in your pic Faraday40, well, the chickens would only see the rinds. We like watermelon!