do chickens eat hay?

[LynneP]

Mine pick at the hay bales I use to give them places to jump down from the roost and platforms- they like the seeds that fall off in the nesting boxes. Some people report impaction problems with hay, but I haven't noticed problems with my hens.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Mine eat the seeds out of all the bales I have around the barn and nibble at some of the dried grasses. Some of them share horse and sheep feed with my horses and sheep also which has some hay mixed in with it.

 

[jeannieo]

Quote:
I see something called Canadian Bio-Cube

alfalfa cubes on the Tractor Supply website but it's for horses. Is that the stuff?

 

[lilchick]

Yes I get mine from Tractor Supply and they are for horses....
They are hard as little bricks and need alot of water to soften them up..... Well worth the trouble tho.....good luck.

 

[Akane]

Mine will even eat straw. They love green hay. Just make sure you put out plenty of grit. Some people will refuse to give them hay because of the chance for impacted crops. I would guess those people aren't giving enough or good quality grit since chickens have been kept on and around hay for a long time without problems.

 

[kaytlynng123]

they probably would.ive seen my chickens eat some before

 

[ji]

I have been feeding alfalfa to my chickens for several months as an occassional treat. They do love it and work hard to strip it right down to the stalks.
My birds have been free rangers since they were just little tykes. In fact I got them in the spring when I also had a terrible infestation of chick weed in my garden.
I would take in big hand fulls of chick weed in almost every day and chop it up for them. They loved. Still do except now they can go get it themselves.
When they were about two months old I extended their pen into a garden area that had butter cups and foxglove in it. Both of which are supposed to be poisenous but they seemed to eat measured quantities without ill effect. They had lots else to eat but they wanted butter cups.
They have always had good access to grit, and I've noticed they eat a lot.
Right now I am buried in snow and they get grit under the coop they live in.
I've never heard of the alfalfa cubes. I will see if I can get them locally.

 

[Dorothy1324]

you know after reading this just for giggles i went out with some of our geuine pigs timothy hay and wolla the gobbled it up LOL also some shrimp shells my daughter said mom they love the eyes they are like peanut butter balls to them LOLOLOLOL