Do you cut up veggies?

[K-Chick]

When giving tomatoes, kale or whatever, would you suggest to cut it up for them or just throw it in whole?

 

[Picky Chicky]

I'm also curious if anyone offers the breaking up/cutting up courtesy for other items like bread, lettuce and various fruit?

 

[SpringChickens]

I typically just throw in whatever veggies I'm feeding, but I tend to feed my chickens my smaller veggies and my goats my bigger veggies.

It depends on how much entertainment you want!

If you don't cut up your kale, you will get one chicken picking up a leaf, and the rest chasing it madly around the yard. Then another chicken steals it, repeat.

 

[lalyswishytail]

I probably over-mother my girls, but yes, I cut things up like I would for a toddler. I also cut out off the tops of their strawberries, but after reading a post about it, I should learn to let go a little.

 

[digitS']

I not only cut up cabbage leaves, broccoli stems, and carrot (well, you don't need to cut up these) peelings but . . . I nuke them! Carrot peelings are a favorite.

My plan is for the hens to eat these things, not just scatter them around the coop. After they eat them, it would also be good if they are able to digest what’s been eaten.

Of course, they get the coarsest stuff that would otherwise go in the compost. The tender parts are for the people

.

Steve

 

[Kim_NC]

OK...I confess to 'spoiling them' with cut-up stuff as well. But...but...it's more about wanting to see everyone get 2 or 3 pieces and not wanting a single hen to gorge on one large piece.

Annndddd, I will give them whole heads of cabbage, lettuce, broccoli plants, etc if they need entertainment inside the coop due to harsh weather etc keeping them inside or in late Fall/Winter when there's not as much natural grass or other greens to forage.

You should listen to Steve

.....
I also nuke root crops (turnip, carrots, parsnips, or anything harder to digest) - and snap beans get eaten up quicker if cooked. In the winter time I tend to soft them with a bit of steaming on top of the wood cookstove rather than nuking, since the stove is available then and that saves power.

 

[Wifezilla]

I only cut my stuff up because I have ducks. They don't have pointy sharp little beaks to tear stuff apart. Leftover greens, tops and ends of cabbage, wilted lettuce leaves, brown pieces of fruit I cut off...whirl it in the food processor with a chopping blade, and serve in a large dish of cold water. Duck soup!

 

[Beed]

I cut my stuff too. I have guinea pigs that get fed at same time and they are big time spoiled. I am now spoiling everybody. I get pecked on the legs if I don't hurry up. No respect!!! One thing though I can't get my girls to eat veggies like they should. Maybe if I nuke it. I will give it a try.

 

[TYerian07]

I'm also curious if anyone offers the breaking up/cutting up courtesy for other items like bread, lettuce and various fruit?

I read somewhere not to feed them bread.

 

[Silexian]

During the gardening season. When they get more whole vegetables. I will toss cucumbers, squash and melons, against the base of a tree. To make it easier for them to get to the flesh. Most vegetable scraps from the kitchen have already been peeled or cut into smaller pieces. For us to cook or eat. So the chickens can usually handle them easily enough also.