Dandelions

[dpuleo]

Today I tried blackberries and they all turned their beaks up at them! So I broke one up and tried again. Wow they like them now!

 

[LittleBits]

Wow - just read through this whole thread and see that my chickens are missing out! I can't free range, but do give them a handful of clover every time I go out to the run. (often!!) They prefer the clover over any grass that's mixed in. They pull it out of each other's mouths!! They are SO funny.

They love watermelon - just tried it today. But I didn't think of giving them all the weeds I pull out of flower beds and the garden!

Dandelions? Guess I'll be letting them grow a bit or pulling them before the lawnmower gets to them!

About the meat - I know they love it and I know they need lots of protein - so why NOT give it to them? I was told not to, but if I have scraps, like a piece of hamburger left over that I don't want to save or something like that - it goes into the "chicken pot".

They won't touch potato peelings though and they love those earthworms. (Guess who digs them out of the compost pile??

) They stick up their beaks at anything that crawls and is fuzzy - like a tent worm or caterpillar.

Don't think I'll be putting any road kill protein in the run - I might have to remove the carcass! YUK...

Remembered one more thing: I gave them some ice-cream and they loved it! But I guess that's not a weed!! lol

 

[redrstr29]

I love the South. The people really are so friendly. Here in Louisiana it get really hot in the summer, I mean REALLY hot for several months. Mind blowing hot. And, I lived in lots of places, but no place where the heat is this intense (I was born here, but it's just not something that can be adjusted to). It's the humidity. Basically we stay in the pool. But, stuff sure grows here. I lived in East Tennessee and loved the weather and the 4 seasons. Just enough of everything. No snow here or ice. Sometimes winter just forgets to come at all. LOL I think I'm here to stay, no plans to move out of state again. All in all, it's a great place to live.

People up here are so-so Luckiy I live in the sticks so its not that bad, I lived in the city for work for a few years and would drive by farms on the back roads to take the "long way" and found my self starring at the cows and horses and missing that life soooo bad! so I came back to CT Its O.K id like my neighbors to be at least 1/2 mile away lo lol

Here in Louisiana we get Buck Moth caterpillers every Spring. They are large awful critters that carry a very mean sting. They are everywhere on oak trees for a few weeks. Well, the new chicken yard is under a large oak tree. This was their frist Spring under the oak tree and I thought, "cool, they'll eat those awful caterpillers." Nope, they wouldn't even look at them. Dang! so, we just had to endure until they were gone. I didn't do a lot of chicken yard sitting during that time, just got in and got out hoping to not be stung.

Sounds like an awesome run, GOOD JOB, Dont feel bad about the caterpillars, mine dont eat meal worms (yes I said it) they dont like meal worms, dead OR alive??? go figure?, but earth worms FORGET IT theyre all over them like white on rice!

 

[TulsaChick]

Ok I read the post above about yogurt and gave some to mine to try for the first time. The sampled it and couldn't get it off their beaks fast enough. Wouldn't touch it again

 

[Reurra]

The reason I dont fed meat to my birds is because I worry that some little scrap will get missed and picked up later. This makes me think of botulism. I dont want my birds to die of that, so i give them high protein foods like bean sprouts and baked beans. I bake the beans myself, canned stuff is loaded with sodium, and dried beans are cheaper. I feed it to them outside the run too to make sure nothing is picked up inside the coop later to make them sick.

 

[LittleBits]

The reason I dont fed meat to my birds is because I worry that some little scrap will get missed and picked up later. This makes me think of botulism. I dont want my birds to die of that, so i give them high protein foods like bean sprouts and baked beans. I bake the beans myself, canned stuff is loaded with sodium, and dried beans are cheaper. I feed it to them outside the run too to make sure nothing is picked up inside the coop later to make them sick.

Well, thank you - I wouldn't have thought of that - but you are right - meat gets old, fast, even when it's cooked. I don't routinely give them anything like that, just an occasional scrap that would normally go in the "garden pot"! They eat a little thing pretty quick, so I'm pretty sure there isn't anything left over from it.

Would they eat the bean, uncooked?

 

[LittleBits]

Ok I read the post above about yogurt and gave some to mine to try for the first time. The sampled it and couldn't get it off their beaks fast enough. Wouldn't touch it again

Is this why chickens do that thing w/ their beaks???!!!! I was wondering about that! Or are there other reasons, too?

 

[Dawnschix]

Is this why chickens do that thing w/ their beaks???!!!! I was wondering about that! Or are there other reasons, too?

I think it is definitely to clean the beak.....but not sure it means they dont like what they are eating. I have seen mine do the 'beak wipe' and go right back in for more of what they were eating.

 

[Mountain Wampus]

Is this why chickens do that thing w/ their beaks???!!!! I was wondering about that! Or are there other reasons, too?

Yes, they are wiping it off their beaks. Mix the gooey stuff w feed or some other treat ( brocolli and celery, cabbage & old tomatoes for mine ) It will turn it all into a tasty treat that won't stick to their beaks so much.

 

[LittleBits]

I think it is definitely to clean the beak.....but not sure it means they dont like what they are eating. I have seen mine do the 'beak wipe' and go right back in for more of what they were eating.

Yes, they are wiping it off their beaks. Mix the gooey stuff w feed or some other treat ( brocolli and celery, cabbage & old tomatoes for mine ) It will turn it all into a tasty treat that won't stick to their beaks so much.

How 'bout that - I learn something new on here every day! They wipe their beaks like we would wipe our mouth off! lol. That's kind of funny!