Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens.. squash?

[WallTenters]

We are getting our chickies this weekend (WOOHOOO!!!!) and just wondering if it's okay to feed them the leftover greens?

Our iguana eats a very high end vegetarian diet, but he's a little guy, so we often have lots of greens just going to waste and we just buy new ones for him and throw the rest out once it's a bit wilted. We keep his diet pretty varied so he has 3-5 items to pick from on his plate each day, so it takes him a while to finish off any one piece of plant, so we're throwing out all these wonderful veggies because we too don't eat them fast enough.

Our question is, would it be fine to throw this in with the chicks? I couldn't imagine why not, but thought we'd better double check.

He eats...

Collard Greens
Mustard Greens
Turnip Greens
Watercress
Mango
Sometimes grapes
Parsnip
Acorn Squash
Sometimes other squashes
.. what else...
Green beans
Sweet Peas
Sometimes prickly pear cactus
Every once in a while some carrots and apples
Sometimes red or green bell peppers

Yeah, his diet is varied

 

[Imp]

All these items are fine for chickens, as treats. If you are getting chicks make sure you chop them up fine.Don't want any choking. Either chicks or older you will need to supply grit for them.

Imp

 

[WallTenters]

Thanks! We chop everything for him anyway, so we can just chop extra in the morning for our chickies. And yep, already have the grit and chick starter standing by! And no worries, the greens won't be their only food, but we were just thinking if we could put a handful in each day (25 chicks) that it would really cut down on the waste around here!

Also, collards are really high in calcium (they're Petrie's main dish), so I wonder how adult hens would do on that vs. oyster shells in the future? hmmm hmmm.. Worth looking into!

 

[gryeyes]

Greens fed too much and too early to chicks can really give them nasty, runny poop. They are okay in moderation, but I wouldn't give any treats to baby chicks until they are at least one week old, if not two. And in moderation, also cut up very finely.

Oh! And be prepared for the chicks to be AFRAID of new treats, at first. Eventually one of 'em will try it, like it, and then everybody will dig in.

 

[fldiver97]

Your chickies will love the veggies and greens. I assume you are getting day old chickens. Start them on grower feed. I would wait a week or two and then introduce greens and small pieces of veggies. the only thing you should make available though once you start letting them have anything other than grower mash is grit. They need grit in their crop to grind and smush up food. Mash is no problem but other stuff may be. Chickens that forage can pick up sand and grit and little pebbles, chicks in a brooder or confined chickens don't have access. You can buy a bag of fine grit or grit/sand for cockatiels and parrots etc. if you just need a smaller amount for young chicks. Otherwise you can get grit at the feedstore. I also started feeding mealworms for treats, pieces of cooked spaghetti - now that was funny to watch the little guys chase each other and steal the treats from each others beaks.....Chickens sometimes will not go for something, mostly because they don't know what it is. I have a few that will not eat apple or banana, most chickens love it. Sometimes it helps to leave a new food item, usually they all go for it once one has investigated and tried it. There is also a sticky in the feeding section of treats and items to avoid. Good luck and congrats!!

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Foods high in calcium are great for chickens. Oyster shell is only necessary if the hens are not getting enough calcium otherwise.
It's cheap and easy.

Other sources of calcium:

Dairy foods
Milk, yogurt, cheese

Leafy green vegetables
Broccoli, kale, spinach

Fruits
Oranges

Beans and peas
Tofu, peanuts, peas, black beans, baked beans

Fish
Salmon, sardines

Miscellaneous
Sesame seeds, blackstrap molasses, corn tortillas, almonds, brown sugar

Feeding oranges to chickens is controversial, make sure any beans are cooked, and molasses can cause diarrhea.

Imp

 

[A.T. Hagan]

They may not go for the peppers, but the rest will be fine. Just chop it up well before you give it to them. I don't offer green feed until they are a week old then I start them off slowly on it. It's a big treat for them once they catch on that it's good to eat.

.....Alan.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

I heard that you should cook raw beans before you feed them to chickens...anyone else heard of that?

 

[Imp]

Quote:
The general consensus is that this is true.

Imp

 

[LittleFeat]

Wow sounds like your iguana is eating well!! Something else that the lizard and chicks will go nuts for is meal worms and the lizard will need the protein! Also, not related to the chicks but I hope you're handling the iguana everyday!! Ours got big, over 3' long, and put me out of work for a while....bit me to the bone and I was a draftsman at the time! She wasn't mean, just not tame!