Chooks need to chomp on something new...

[dianer29]

My Silkies are quite finicky They are a bit over one year. They do not free range however grit is provided for them. They have tired of the brown rice that they have mid afternoon and when I put cheese on it they scream in excitement and eat it up like it is candy. I realise cheese needs to be provided very sparingly due to the possible wear and tear on their organs.I give them calicum every so often as well as salmon not too often , due to salt. I do however rinse it off before. They get their "dry food ration in morning and end of day/early evening before they bed down and chat about how such a pain I am to them.lol. They get cabbage in morning then carrots and either celery or cukes all put in food processor or they will throw shavings etc in the food and pout in a corner. I know that if they get hungry they will eat eventually . I prefer removing the soiled food from them after a bit of time as I do not want them to eat the shavings mess. I occasionally give them banana though not too often as their droppings get very loose. I hand feed a set amount to them. When they were chick,s in the rice place was oatmeal mixed with applesauce or plain yougurt ,this too they tired of as well. I was thinking about cooked lentils however I am concerned that there is something on outside of the legume that might not be good for them. Someone please provide some insight as my girls are too much to be believed and I need proper nutrition for them. ACV is in their water everyday.

 

[Tala]

Raise their feeder so that the shavings don't get kicked into it. They are probably just searching for bits of food under the shavings, I doubt they are kicking shavings in the food on purpose. If they don't free range they should have their regular feed available all day long.

Your birds sound really spoiled with all those frequent treats

Salmon? We rarely even get that for us humans!

Have you ever fed them BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) or birdseed type stuff or chicken scratch treats? A few handfulls should get them excited.
Feel like buying them special vegggies? Grapes are usually a big hit, as are raisins and dried cranberries.
I get mine rolled oats at the feedstore, they are a big hit too.
If they get tired of their treats, well, just don't give them any for a couple of days. It won't kill them to eat layer feed by itself - it has the proper nutrition for them.

 

[dianer29]

I purchase the salmon pkts for about $1.29 per pkt. I have lifted the feeder and witnessed their spite...lol I really do not feed them treats more so a balanced diet . Their eggs are beautiful ,droppings normal,clean ACV water.I remember reading somwhere about raisins yet I cannot put my fingers on the article /statement.They actually leave all larger foods missed by chopper in feeder and the small sized food completely gone as I am home to observe their behavior and appetites.I do give them the proper balance of light to enhance their egg laying as well as fresh water ventilated air, They really are characters as they only eat certain food that I sprout for our familyh as well as them.They are not to crazy for certain fruits as well as veggies hence the same boring diet.....lol. I need to change off the brown rice as it is going untouched and it is not in their pen but sits in their feeder with the shavings.Their dry food is organic and it is soyfree. I try to have a good balance for them and keep food costs maintainable and need another option that will work for them and also my food budget.I spot clean daily and major clean once a week and no food that they ignore is anywhere but in the feeder, Also if I am slow to get waterer cleaned out the 2 times a day they pounce on it and scratch away at it,two of them appear to be water guards...lol.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They should have feed available during the day at all times unless they are free ranging. They can only fit a small amount of food in their crop at a time.

They like to come back again and again to snack.

Treats shouldn't comprise most of their feed. They need the protein of the layer pellets if that is what you are using as regular food. Rice really isn't all that nutritious for them, IMO. Although it won't hurt as a treat.

Treats dilute the protein in the total feed. A better treat (if you are giving frequent treats) would be scrambled eggs or plain yogurt. Rolled oats and black oil sunflower seeds are GREAT- as Tala said.

I only give my chickens treats when we have something about to go bad in the kitchen- before it spoils I run out to give it to them.

And yes you need to give them grit if they aren't free ranging and they are eating anything other than layer pellets or grower feed, etc.

Cooked lentils should be fine for them. I think maybe you are thinking of quinoa.

Sounds like you are doing fine, just need to up the regular food (protein) and be careful about not giving too many treats. If they are laying, they should have oyster shell (tiny flakes of it from a feed store) available at all times or layer feed which has calcium added. If they aren't laying yet, they should be on grower feed or something similar.

Layer feed is usually about 16% protein, grower is 17% or so. And there are other feeds with higher protein (20%) available too. Is your dry food ration (and please don't ration them!) chicken feed?

I mix my own feed to avoid soy but I do buy organic layer pellets to give for treats.

Oh, by the way, I just reread my post and it sounds preachy. Uh, please forgive me. I was just typing and trying to communicate several ideas. I am only telling you what I like to do. You know what is best for you....

 

[dianer29]

I do not see their diet as" treats". I do see the bananas,.blueberries ,melon as treats and not their main food.Their organic layer food soyfree is 16% and was advised that it has calicum in it ,since they are not real keen on their dry food I do provide the oyster shells ,yet not everyday. Their layer food is given to them 2 times a day and they have it in their bowl for at least 2 1/2 hours. I observe them and they would prefer it not offered,though I do it because they need it to complete their diet. I have a few Silkies that wait for other food and not even walk over to the feed and some look and leave. The food is fresh and water is provided with acv .I used to give them yogurt when they were little peeps for many months and had it mixed in oatmeal in am and at times a blueberry cheerio yogurt parfait. They spent most time cleaning their beaks.lol. I know my chooks act spoiled at times. They have chopped cabbage in am then chopped carrots mixed with celery chopped or cukes. I tried leftovers with zero luck. My chooks actually leave all larger pieces of veggies in feeder and do not eben bother to try to eat it. Grit is available .They also get their waterer cleaned and filled 2 x average and I have 2 birds that remind me by scratching at it..lol I was brought up with chickens as a little girl and I never saw such personalities in them.................

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Please forgive me if I misunderstood.