Cut up scraps?

[MommA2K]

I was giving my girls some vegetable scraps and as I was cutting them up I wondered if I was doing this properly. Do I need to cut up their food scraps? Or is it better to give them the entire chunk of scrap (it was cucumber/tomatoes) and they’ll peck at it?

 

[CluckerFamily]

You don't have to cut them up. If I have a whole cucumber, I will slice it down the middle so that the flock eat the seeds first. I will usually cut things in half because I have 17 in my flock, then everyone has equal access to the goods. If they are scraps, you don't have to cut them.

 

[3KillerBs]

How old are they?

Baby chicks need little pieces to prevent choking but older chicks can peck bite-size pieces out of things.

Chickens need grit to be able to digest food other than crumble feed so be sure you're supplying it along with the veggie scraps.

 

[CatsandCrops]

I usually rough chop any scrapes into pieces so that everyone has a chance to get some - we have 8 with a very rigid pecking order. I always make sure our tiny girl Arya gets her own little piece and if everyone else is occupied wit their pieces, they don't try to steal it from her. That's more out of my pity vs what they could actually eat.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I too don't chop things up.....much.

I will split things with hard skins like cantaloupe, and watermelon. The rest is pretty much given whole. I do like to hang an apple for them to peck at.

 

[Callender Girl]

I usually chop mine up so everyone gets a chance for a treat. There are chickens, ducks and geese who all want to eat the goodies. While the ducks and geese will devour theirs immediately, the chickens tend to grab a chunk and run with it. It's like watching a basketball game with everyone determined to steal the "ball."

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I’m in the “split stuff open but not chop” camp. Cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumbers get split open with a shovel. Apples, peppers, and tomatoes often get a “boot stomp” to open them up.