Chickens Won't Eat Produce Or Scratch?

[AZBootsie]

What's BOSS?

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds......I had to ask too

 

[Alphabetcoop]

Ya, what is BOSS?

 

[kicranst]

Oh I always make sure they have a good percentage of grit mixed in with their feed everyday...I think they are just picky! But I am bound and determined to find treats they will like!

 

[kicranst]

When my girls were that young I had to cut all their treats into bite sized pieces and serve them on a plate. They wouldn't eat anything in big pieces or off the ground.

Somewhere down the line though they got alot less picky and started eating off the ground and pecking things down to size. They have a couple of favorites now, in the summer they get excited for cold watermelon rinds and on the coldest days of winter I actually fix them bowls of oatmeal. They also enjoy plain air popped popcorn and bread. It's funny because my daughter has actually "trained" one of the birds to catch the popcorn! As far as produce goes, in addition to the watermelon, they like cantalope seeds and carrot tops, but not carrots themselves so much. They seem to like the grass and dandelions from the yard alot more than they like anything from my fridge.

Seriously, I'm glad to see this post because I just thought I had spoiled rotten birds.

LOL! I even tried putting items in a bowl. They picked out the spinach and left the rest! OOOh, I have a cold watermelon in my fridge currently...never thought about the rinds...adding to the list!

As for spoiling them..I'm trying my hardest but they are so circumspect of me and my motives!

 

[binza1979]

I am surprised by what my girls will and won't eat. I offer. I usually just throw things into the run. Some girls are pickier than others. The old ladies (3 years old) usually taste everything, the youngers joint in, and then the old gals walk away. By the end of the day, there usually isn't anything left of the treat I threw in. I think their favorite thing is to pick apart pumpkins. I just break them in half and throw them in...they go nuts eating everything but the rind.

And, I always thought ducks liked bread. Mine won't go with it. The wild birds usually end up eating it because the ducks snub it. We have stopped giving it to them because the chickens go nuts for bread!

 

[jandrusrn]

I have to say that this has been one of my very favorite parts about having chickens. Finding out what they will and won't eat. I have the funniest pictures of them diving beak first into sour cream.... just adore it. Of course the yogurt, and nice buttermilk on their warm oatmeal in the morning but I was shocked to watch them snub their noses at tons of stuff I give them. My girls don't like spinach, but love kale, don't like carrots but love the greens... and think noodles are just about the bestest things ever.

spoiled? yes..... and that's just fine with this chicken mom.

 

[morsekathan]

Well, it's good to know that someone else makes their girls a nice bowl of oatmeal. It's just seems right on a cold day to bring them some nice warm food. During the winter, I fix them a lot of warm food. I think someone on the list recommended it, but maybe I just decided too. They like a little warm mash of bread crumbs, yogurt and cottage cheese. Spaghetti is also fun too, but my new ladies won't try it. What they really like is smashed peanuts. For a while, they were the only thing that would lure them into their house for early bedtime.

 

[princessmama]

Ours go crazy over our red plums, tomatoes, apples that fall from the tree into their yard, worms... They eat the millet out of the wild bird seed. We mix BOSS in with their feed and they always leave it til last. They don't much like rolled oats or broccoli, carrots, or trimmings from lettuce and kale. They love grass, sprouts, weeds. Our ducks went absolutely Nuts for peas! It was great fun to throw a handful of frozen peas into their pool and see them turn into pirahnas!

 

[ButchGood]

I see a lot of chickens don't like brussel sprouts. Mine don't either. I picked one up off the ground and started picking at it into very small pieces and the ate it then, But I'm not about to go through all that. My chickens will eat just about anything though. Some things more enthusiastically than others. By the end of the day they have usually cleaned up whatever I throw in. Except brussel sprouts. In the heat of the summer they really like watermelon and cucumbers.

 

[lisascenic]

What changed with the eating off the ground? Once food touches the dirt, it becomes invisible to my birds.