apples

[chickenbythesea]

when you give your chickens apples is it best to cut them into small pieces or just cut the apple in half and let them peck it? I usually just quarter watermellon and they peck it but the other day I cubed it up so that they wouldn't all gather around on small quarter (there's 9 of them) and that way they'd all get some. However, they didn't like the cut bits and went for the mellon in the skin rather then the cut bits. Just wondering about apples: thanks

 

[HenCrazyMom]

I simply quarter them and take out the seeds. I have 17 birds and those that want the apples get them.

 

[Farmer_Dan]

I didn't even cut them at all. Just scooped them up off the ground under the tree and put the pile in the run. Gives them lots of stuff to do and they certainly do eat them up.

 

[ddmiddle7]

Are the seeds not safe for them?

 

[Farmer_Dan]

it would take too many seeds to hurt them. They can't eat that much.

 

[Farmer_Dan]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[Amethyste]

I just take 4 or 5 and toss them in the run... within an hour they are totally gone. I don't even bother to cut them, just toss them in whole. I have noticed tho that they prefer the Fuji apples to the Red Delicious. Picky buggers. They eat all apples happily tho, and will do their apple bawk for them when I don't have any for them to nom on.

 

[chickenbythesea]

thanks... will do that today

 

[chickenbythesea]

hahaha.... they're scared of the apples.... we'll have to see if the apples are still there tonight

 

[Judy]

Lots of times mine are scared of a new food, but it disappears eventually. Mine would rather eat out the greenish part of a watermelon than the red part.