Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and throwing food all over!

[poquitogallito]

Hello Folks,

First time posting up here. I bet I could find an answer via the 'search' button but thought it would be more fun to say hello!

So I have 1 RIR, 1 Speckled Wyandotte and 1 Australorpe. The RIR is laying and the Australorpe is, at this very moment sitting in the box for the first time, hopefully laying her first egg.

Anyhow we also have 2 polishes that the other 3 dont like too much, they peck at the polishes heads and pull out their top feathers. We noticed that they were, from time to time, eating at the feathers they pulled out. We have added black oil sunflower seeds to increase their protein. We keep the polishes in a separate area within the pen (not sure if they are ever going to be able to be together, can't stand watching them peck and fight with each other).

Anyhow, how much of the sunflower seeds should we give to them, i mixed some in with their food, but they threw the food ALL over (about 2 gallons of it) just to get to the seeds. Should we keep an entire separate feeds of seeds for them, or just give them a scoop every few days?

Thanks folks, great forum, you all have a lot of great info!

 

[Wildsky]

yes keep the food and sunflower seeds separate.

Mine get their "treat's" twice a day, the treats are scratch and sunflower seeds mixed up. I would say for your's only a half to a full cup of them.

We throw out twice a day, in the morning when we open up and at around 4pm (a little before their bed time)

Their "real" food is in the coop = the seeds etc. get thrown out either in their run or on the pathways etc... (they will destroy any lawn or plants if you throw the seeds near those.)

 

[flamingauburnmustang]

Welcome to BYC!!!!

I also give my chickens sunflower seeds, although they prefer the kernels.....

Anyway, enjoy the site.

 

[AmazonDragon]

 

[sunnydee]

I also give my girls BOSS and scratch. I either throw it in their run if its warm enough or I just toss a couple of handfuls in their coop on top of their shavings. This seems to keep them busy for a few hours and they just love to dig around and find their treats.

I have their food seperate and available to them 24/7 along with a seperate bowl of grit and some oyster shell.

 

[wendy]

I did that once and the same thing happened with the feed and Boss.

So I took a big can (juicy juice) drilled holes in the bottom and a couple at the top. Attached a rope to it and tide it up in the tree. The chickens peck at it and get Boss and regular bird seed out by pecking at it and "swinging the can" by pulling the rope. And I throw out some Boss in the run to let them peck at too.
They enjoy it all

 

[Jenski]

Welcome to BYC!

Chickens often seem to peck at birds with different feathering ~ Polish, cochins, silkies, and all the feather-foot birds are at risk of this in a mixed pen. You may end up having to keep them separate.

I throw the sunflower seeds (mixed with scratch) on the ground; it gives the girls something to do, and they really enjoy digging around for their treats. Keeping them busy helps with the bad habits that arise from bored animals. Good luck!