Cutting veg. for my chickens

[Johnchickens2]

Hi!! I give cabbage and red bell pepper every day to my chickens. This is a Bantam flock, so everything has to be small. I cut the cabbage for them with a knife. But the thing is that when you cut with a knife, the edges of the pieces remain sharp. I hope I managed to explain what I mean... Cutting with a knife leaves square pieces of the cabbage and pepper. And the chickens swallow it like that... is it somehow harmful? To the Esophagus or stomach? Today one of the chickens looks a little off, so... I started to wonder what has changed recently (I have added cabbage). Thank you for your help!!

 

[Logar]

I wouldn’t cut it up more than just in half. They will bite off proper sized pieces themselves. But it shouldn’t be an issue having “sharp” sides, they do eat rocks after all.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Hi!! I give cabbage and red bell pepper every day to my chickens. This is a Bantam flock, so everything has to be small. I cut the cabbage for them with a knife. But the thing is that when you cut with a knife, the edges of the pieces remain sharp. I hope I managed to explain what I mean... Cutting with a knife leaves square pieces of the cabbage and pepper. And the chickens swallow it like that... is it somehow harmful? To the Esophagus or stomach? Today one of the chickens looks a little off, so... I started to wonder what has changed recently (I have added cabbage). Thank you for your help!!

I offer soaked Alfalfa pellets on the side. I place a scoop of alfalfa pellets in a feed pale with a small handful of scratch and small handful of ground oyster/egg shells. Your egg yokes will become beautiful orange amber. Alfalfa contains calcium naturally but I add a little more because I can. If they don't care to eat the rocks, they eat around them.
Anyway, thanks for bringing the subject to the table.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't even bother cutting the scraps I through occasionally. The bantam do just as well as the standards do

 

[Ridgerunner]

I wouldn’t cut it up more than just in half. They will bite off proper sized pieces themselves. But it shouldn’t be an issue having “sharp” sides, they do eat rocks after all.

I've seen chickens cut a frog into bite-sized pieces by pecking with their beaks. If you leave bigger pieces of cabbage or peppers they can cut off what they can comfortably swallow. If the pieces are small and light they have a lot more trouble cutting them into smaller pieces.

I don't know how big of a piece a bantam can comfortably handle. I've seen a full-sized fowl chicken swallow a mouse whole after pecking it enough to break the bones so it is pliable. I've found plum pits in the gizzard when I butcher them. They can handle some pretty large pieces when given the option but I try to let them manage that part of it when I give them fruit or vegetables.

I try to not micromanage my chickens but let them handle the details as much as possible.

 

[Johnchickens2]

Thank you all!

I wouldn’t cut it up more than just in half. They will bite off proper sized pieces themselves. But it shouldn’t be an issue having “sharp” sides, they do eat rocks after all.

Thank you! It's a bit problematic for me to give them half a cabbage every day because then I'll have to buy a few cabbages a week. I have only 12 chickens, so... about 2 cups of chopped vegs. a day are definitely enough.

 

[Johnchickens2]

Thank you all! So there is not a problem with cutting/chopping vegs with a knife for them?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would NOT cut it up at all, or at least not more than absolutely needed (i.e. cutting a watermelon in half so they can get to the inside, or hand tearing off entire leaves of greens like kale). Leaving veggies intact lets the birds bite off pieces off the right size for them. Cutting it up takes away that option, and since they don't have hands they can't hold onto the chopped pieces to break off smaller bits.

 

[Johnchickens2]

I would NOT cut it up at all, or at least not more than absolutely needed (i.e. cutting a watermelon in half so they can get to the inside, or hand tearing off entire leaves of greens like kale). Leaving veggies intact lets the birds bite off pieces off the right size for them. Cutting it up takes away that option, and since they don't have hands they can't hold onto the chopped pieces to break off smaller bits.

Oh I see. Well I used to chop vegs for two reasons... I felt that the serama females have some hard time eating, and, I wanted the chicks in the flock to enjoy the vegs too. I guess the chopped pieces was harmful for them so far? Hope I didn't cause a lot of damage....

 

[rosemarythyme]

Oh I see. Well I used to chop vegs for two reasons... I felt that the serama females have some hard time eating, and, I wanted the chicks in the flock to enjoy the vegs too. I guess the chopped pieces was harmful for them so far? Hope I didn't cause a lot of damage....

Not at all. But you're making more work for yourself than needed, and most chickens can make do just fine even with something dense like a whole carrot (obviously this would not include any birds with issues like crossbeak that would make it hard for them to eat).

I don't give chicks any extra treats until they're older so it's not an issue I've run into.