Anyone else have picky eaters?

[thecatumbrella]

I once had a sub-flock that would not eat anything but their milled commercial food snd a little scratch. I realized I had not started them on scraps when they were babies! They would not look at a grape, strawberry or bit of lettuce! So my next batch of chicks got started early on worms, spaghetti, lettuce ... daily scraps! Not much, just enough to rouse their interest and teach them that food can look like ... well, anything!

I didn't start treating until about 12 weeks, and mine can be stubborn trying new foods. Will take your advice and start earlier next time! Maybe 3-4 weeks when they start exploring outside?

 

[Insnesnakos]

I bought my birds scratch grains but they'd only eat the corn pieces

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I didn't start treating until about 12 weeks, and mine can be stubborn trying new foods. Will take your advice and start earlier next time! Maybe 3-4 weeks when they start exploring outside?

My latest batch is a week old and I have already given them dried mealworms, which brought out the crazy in them! Today I thought I would give them a little cooked spaghetti chopped into one-inch pieces, and by the end of this week they will have shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, no more than a spoonful of each. Again, note that they are getting chick grit daily. I sprinkle it on the floor of their freshly cleaned bin (plastic tote) every day and put their "treat" right on top of it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

But yeah, you could def wait till you put them outside. Just make sure they're getting grit.

 

[PlagueDoctorFarms]

Very pretty bird. What breed?

Spangled Kelso

 

[porokelle]

Saw this post when coming onto the forum to ask if anyone else's chickens go off pellets/crumble after eating them for a few years. I'm about to throw out two bags and find other brands to try

Not only are our girls picking out wheat or oats from their crumb/pellets, each girl has their preferences.

I try to give them a big batch of random garden greens in the morning (some things are eaten, others are not) and hand feed some sorrel or chicory in the afternoon. Of which, two girls will only eat the stems and the other girls will only eat the leaves.

I think they prefer grass, bugs, and sparrow poop to everything but peanuts.

Do chickens have an incredible scent or taste ability? Some things they know to turn their beaks up at before even trying it and other things they find in the dirt they have to toss around in their mouths before deciding if it's edible.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Saw this post when coming onto the forum to ask if anyone else's chickens go off pellets/crumble after eating them for a few years. I'm about to throw out two bags and find other brands to try

Not only are our girls picking out wheat or oats from their crumb/pellets, each girl has their preferences.

I try to give them a big batch of random garden greens in the morning (some things are eaten, others are not) and hand feed some sorrel or chicory in the afternoon. Of which, two girls will only eat the stems and the other girls will only eat the leaves.

I think they prefer grass, bugs, and sparrow poop to everything but peanuts.

Do chickens have an incredible scent or taste ability? Some things they know to turn their beaks up at before even trying it and other things they find in the dirt they have to toss around in their mouths before deciding if it's edible.

I really believe the only way to be sure they get a balanced diet is to keep before them at all times a commercially formulated pellet or crumble. If they can see individual components like corn, peas, wheat, etc., they will surely pick out what they like and leave the rest. The same way one of my kids picks peas out of a stew or pot pie and won't eat them, lol, and the other one picks olives and onions off a pizza (he now gets cheese only). The items you are feeding your chickens should only be offered as a treat, like cake and ice cream, not a steady diet, IMO, and should only consist of about 10% of their diet. I'm not an expert in nutrition though, and I can't remember who is. Hopefully one of our experts will chime in and advise you.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh, another thought. If you stop feeding them everything but the purchased feed, they will eat it. They might gripe and grumble but, just like kids, when there is no ice cream they will eat their meat and potatoes. Stop the treats and see what happens.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

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?

Mine won’t eat lettuce guess it’s not just kids that don’t like greens!

 

[thecatumbrella]

Also catmint and lemon balm are huge hits, but not parsley or basil (unless planted in the ground and can hence be destroyed).