Dandelions

[Hayduke27]

Bahahaha

And yes, I agree, a hungry chicken is not to be taken lightly. You could easily lose digits!

As for chickens picking a deer carcass clean, somehow it's surprising AND not surprising to me at the same time. What a strange sensation in my head!

 

[MuddyHillFarm]

Yes, we're thinking about how to get more animal protein into our flock's diet. We have a bio-pod for the black soldier fly larvae, but it's a little stinky, and one time the vultures found it and dragged out the decaying mess inside. Also, the larvae don't get going until after prime breeding season. Does anybody give fresh raw meat to their birds? Maybe squirrel carcases???
Check out our <a href="http://www.muddyhillfarm.com/blog/2012/07/26/free-food-for-the-chickens/">Bio Pod</a> post.

 

[RedneckGurl]

I was raised in the city but had grandparents who lived on a small farm out in the country. I remember my grandmother having chickens and guineas but being very young at the time I didn't pay a lot of attention to their diet. Even as an adult, I didn't know much about chickens until I began to research them a couple of years ago when I decided I'd like to have some.


I did, however, get a very "in your face" lesson on chickens being OMNIVORES and not herbivores when my husband and I lived in a small town in coastal Georgia many years ago.


Most people there just let their chickens free range all the time. It was nothing to see a half dozen chickens foraging in the ditches along the four lane highway. One day we were driving home from work and saw a large pile of chickens going nuts over something on the side of the road. As we got closer, I could see that it was a midsized dog that had been hit and killed by a car. Those chickens were literally engaged in a feeding frenzy over that dog. I think I turned green and made a gagging sound because my husband asked me what was wrong. I pointed to the chickens and said, "LOOK! They are EATING that roadkill dog!" Apparently he knew the whole chickens are omnivores thing and wasn't the slightest bit phased. He said something along the lines of yeah, what do you expect? They're little scavengers after all. WHAT?


I have since come to grips with the fact that chickens don't just eat pellets or seeds thrown on the ground and that, in fact, chickens being allowed to be chickens means that they will eat meat (and not just bugs) and actually need that protein to be healthy.


I will, however, NEVER forget the day I learned the hard way that chickens eat meat.

 

[Hayduke27]

That's it, I'm not letting my dog in the chicken run anymore!!

 

[MuddyHillFarm]

I pack our eggs to sell in used cartons. One of the regulations is that you are supposed to cross out anything that doesn't apply to the eggs you sell. Whenever I use one that says "all vegetarian feed" I cross it out and write, "chickens are not vegetarians!" Just trying to educate the public.

Still, I don't like the idea of chickens eating dogs. Just seems wrong...

 

[LDev]

Do you think if I tell my cat this story he'll stop stalking my hens?

 

[katsdar]

I found mine also love the greens, tomato's , strawberries, watermelon, and they love honeysuckle flowers, they have eaten what they can reach and now I'm plucking it for them. Oh blueberries they fight over them, but grapes they look at me like really.

 

[Mountain Wampus]

That's it, I'm not letting my dog in the chicken run anymore!!

Mine lets me know I need to work on the coop aviary when he sneaks in to steal treats / veggies from the ducks, plays in their water, and finally plays w the ducks themselves.. At least he doesn't have a taste for birds.. good dog "George"!

 

[dpuleo]

Haha, chicken demons!  I know that evil glimmer they get in their eyes.  When they see me coming with the mealworm cup, all alliances are off.  It's every chicken and their screaming tummies for themselves!

Mine too! One time Lucy jumped up and knocked the cup out of my hand! Mine don't like dandelions. I would love for them to eat them. Could it be because they free range and can find other stuff they like better?

 

[dpuleo]

How

They were commercial layers, been inside all their lives laying for supermarkets:-( they are now loving the outdoors and are full of energy. Their combs were pale and they were dejected when I got them the first day, but already their combs are red and they are happily scratching around and chasing any flying insect that they see hahaha. They were fascinated by the sky to start with! They were Rescues

How do you find rescues?