Chickens won't eat scraps

[sherrybwc]

When I was growing up, in addition to feed our chickens ate table scraps, stale bread, and most vegetable/fruit trimmings (pretty much anything that hit the ground), but MY chickens won't touch anything except layer, cracked corn, grains, and what they scratch up in the woods. What's up with THAT? Do I have food snobs on my hands?

 

[TigerLilly]

Maybe they're full?
Do you feed them a lot of cracked corn? Guess it could be worse. Unless you feed them lots of cracked corn, it sounds like they get a healthy diet.

 

[GarlicEater]

LOL!!

You wanna see something funny, try feeding M&M's to a goose. They kind of go BLAH! but they can't spit them out like we can, so they shake their heads side to side vigorously to get 'em out of their beaks.

 

[journey11]

That is weird. Mine will eat until they pop. They mob me every time I come in hoping I've brought them some kind of leftovers.

I imagine if they are hungry enough, they might try something new. This strategy works well on toddlers anyway...

 

[Pinky]

My game hens were scared of worms until they seen the other chickens eating them.

 

[flowergirl60]

Wish mine would eat their layer food. Just the opposite, they want scaps.

 

[Terri O]

WHat kind of scraps are you trying? Maybe they are overwhelmed with too much? You could try going out and sitting with them right when you let them out in the morning and tossing just a few things in front of them. Like maybe a cut up apple or some small pieces of lettuce? Once they get the idea I am sure they will be mobbing you for treats just like all of our chickens do! Terri O

 

[2DogsFarm]

How old are your hens?

My girls were suspicious of anything that wasn't their crumbles when they were younger.
I tried all the treat stuff suggested here - Cheerios, cooked spaghetti, bread, cabbage - and it all got the Stinkeye.
Raisins were the only success - they are Chicken Crack.

Now that they are older they are feathered garbage disposals.

 

[Sheepy]

Just like you just got stuck with a bunch of picky hens! That's okay, it means you treat your animals like humans! (or better)

 

[sherrybwc]

Quote:
When I try to give then scraps, I'll cut up/pinch up whatever it is (greens, fruit, cooked beans/peas, bread, etc) and toss a handful amongst them. They'll run right over and grab it up...and then spit it right back out. Then they give me "the look" as if I'd just tried to poison them.

They'll be a year old on Memorial Day and I've been trying to give them scraps since I put them on regular feed. I give them layer in the morning, they forage in the woods around my house during the day, and then I give them cracked corn/grains in the evening around 4PM-ish. Doesn't matter WHEN I give them scraps (morning, noon, or evening), they simply won't eat them.

Divas and Dandies...every one of 'em!