Anyone else have picky eaters?

[Auntiejessi3]

Right now, they're grounded with no treats for at least a week. But normally I do limit them, exactly as you said (even have my handy 3/8 cup for 3 birds!)

Do chickens tantrum? They're not handling their treat ban very well. I just went in to clean up poops, and one had the nerve to fly at my head! EAT YOUR FOOD!

I don't know about tantrums, but I've definitely received the stink eye, and on numerous times been followed around and yelled at repeatedly, lol

 

[Auntiejessi3]

To be fair, I hate apple peels too!

Hell, I'm not a fan of apples at all

 

[chicken mama 0908]

I feed mine fermented layer feed once a day. They go crazy for it! I also feed them all my extra scraps, which they also love. Their favorites include homemade bread, muffins and any other baked food.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

So nothing a chicken would naturally eat. Mmhm, yep, that’s some sound logic from your bunch!

My chickens don't chicken very well lol

 

[Double Yolked]

Chickens can be little spoiled princesses! I've laughed myself sick before at my hens carefully picking out the food bits that each one prefers and throwing the rest wildly about the coop. And yes they will throw a temper tantrum over the lack of the treat they prefer!
Mine have always hated apples pretty uniformly, except for applesauce cooked into something, they seem to like that.
As for eating some commercial feed over others? Yup. Seen that. I once had several hundred lbs. of chicken feed they decided out of the blue that they hated. They had been eating it just fine before. More expense than they were worth in my book. I refused to give in and let them go hungry a day or two. Hunger is the best sauce. They quit being picky. I figured out they had been raiding the low hanging grapevines for not fully ripe grapes and had gotten spoiled. Kept away from the grapes and cut from the treats? That distained chicken feed suddenly tasted just fine.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I once had several hundred lbs. of chicken feed they decided out of the blue that they hated. They had been eating it just fine before. More expense than they were worth in my book. I refused to give in and let them go hungry a day or two. Hunger is the best sauce. They quit being picky. I figured out they had been raiding the low hanging grapevines for not fully ripe grapes and had gotten spoiled. Kept away from the grapes and cut from the treats? That distained chicken feed suddenly tasted just fine.

Oh my gosh, I've thrown out more pounds of chicken feed than I care to admit.

"Surely, they must sense there's something bad about the feed!"

Nope. They're just picky jerks. Put the same food in a little hot water, and suddenly it's safe to consume. I couldn't get them to eat a piece of banana bread on Thanksgiving, but today they're rapidly ingesting the new wood chips I'm trying in their run.

But you are correct: hunger IS the best sauce!

 

[QODTMWTD]

I don't understand how an animal with a handful of tastebuds can be so selective when it comes to chicken food. There's no rhyme or reason to it either, especially with 95% of commercial feed ingredients starting with "corn, soy, wheat, etc."

My girls enjoy Nutrena Chick Crumble and All-Flock Pellets, but REFUSE the Layer Crumble. Dumor Organic Layer, which I imagine can only be organic food waste, is their absolute favorite. Kalmbach Organic, despite smelling fresh and delicious, must be figurative poison after their 24-hour hunger strike.

Please tell me I'm not the only one. What commercial foods do your girls like? Any insight into their chicken psyche?

That's funny. Mine didn't like pelleted feed, but they didn't exactly refuse it. They just used it up a lot more slowly. They do really well on Purina Flock Raiser crumbles. They've got a big yard for hunting crickets, frogs, and mice, which they love almost as much as mealworms. Same for any kinds of veggies or fruit they get. It's all nom-noms. Of course, these are the same birds that will stand next to a newly-scrubbed drinker filled with clean, cool water and drink from last night's rain puddle, instead. So they might not be the best judges of goodness.

 

[thecatumbrella]

That's funny. Mine didn't like pelleted feed, but they didn't exactly refuse it. They just used it up a lot more slowly. They do really well on Purina Flock Raiser crumbles. They've got a big yard for hunting crickets, frogs, and mice, which they love almost as much as mealworms. Same for any kinds of veggies or fruit they get. It's all nom-noms. Of course, these are the same birds that will stand next to a newly-scrubbed drinker filled with clean, cool water and drink from last night's rain puddle, instead. So they might not be the best judges of goodness.

That photo is horrifying!

 

[SchoolPsychMom]

Mine ladies eat Dumor Layer Pellets daily. They eat table scraps and will indeed devour any hint of butter (learned from left-over potato)! They DO NOT eat lettuce or broccoli. They adore tomatoes, berries, empty carbs (Stale crackers, Honey Nut Cheerios, bread, etc.), any berry they can get their beaks on, raisins, sunflower seeds, and raw peanuts. Over-ripe bananas are deemed 'adequate' if there are no better offers. Apple is kicked aside. I'm baffled myself at what they turn away from.

 

[Baby Chick Mom]

I don't understand how an animal with a handful of tastebuds can be so selective when it comes to chicken food. There's no rhyme or reason to it either, especially with 95% of commercial feed ingredients starting with "corn, soy, wheat, etc."

My girls enjoy Nutrena Chick Crumble and All-Flock Pellets, but REFUSE the Layer Crumble. Dumor Organic Layer, which I imagine can only be organic food waste, is their absolute favorite. Kalmbach Organic, despite smelling fresh and delicious, must be figurative poison after their 24-hour hunger strike.

Please tell me I'm not the only one. What commercial foods do your girls like? Any insight into their chicken psyche?

My 6 hens hated the Kalmbach Organic as well!