Feedback on Learning Center "Treats Chart"

[epeloquin]

Quote:
I don't know how old yours are but my girls did not like worms when they were younger. We would offer them but they would just play with it but never eat it. However, once they started laying eggs they began finding worms on their own and gobbling them up as fast as they could find them. I wonder if the output of protien for the eggs made them go after the worms.

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

Good theroy I would go with that

 

[chicks man!]

Thank you for the wonderful post! I find potato peels in my coop from time to time and it is my neighbor. Just as I do not want others feeding my dog the same goes for the chickens. I can't wait to try the oatmeal tomorrow morning.

 

[jpcode]

From my experience raising chickens as a kid we let them roam and did not feed them except during the winter. I have seen chickens eat lots of stuff including baby mice/rats, whole shad (garbage fish), stuff picked out of cow patties, small snakes, meat scraps (cooked), each other, (that was kinda gross but a group had eaten most of the tail off a young chicken), all assortments vegetable and plant scraps, and they had free access to the compost pile and other animal pens so they ate whatever they wanted. I have never seen a chicken just die randomly, I have seen them get eaten by the pigs, and a hawk, large rats, stepped on by a Shetland pony who hated chickens, but never just die in a corner. We did not let them live longer than four years though, and we separated generations by breed. We generally had between 15 and 25 chickens at a time.

Now I am getting into chickens I have 7 that a 6 months old and have just started laying, I let them roam parts of the yard I don't have baby plants in and they eat what they want from the compost pile and worm bins. I don't think anything in small amounts will harm them. I only want 15 to 20 eggs a week, so I am not trying to optimise egg production. I don't know if this is a case of might harm vs will harm... I have read a lot of conflicting information on chicken diets... But look at the differences in human diets...

 

[cluckiemama]

My girls go bananas for bananas. They won't eat strawberries. Any bread or toast is quickly devoured. I'll have to try some new ideas from the list- thanks!

 

[kilby]

You have flax as a grain treat but toxic plants include flax.

 

[kilby]

hi jpcode wrote
I have seen chickens eat lots of stuff including baby mice/rats, whole shad (garbage fish), stuff picked out of cow patties, small snakes, meat scraps (cooked), each other, (that was kinda gross but a group had eaten most of the tail off a young chicken), all assortments


I like to look at this way. Maybe your chickens when you were growing up could have fended off the rat or run from the horse if they had excellent responses from eating food not of the bacteria, virus, mold persuasion. Dogs can die eating compost.
I think the chick was attacked because they ate raw meat too. Once they tasted blood there is no going back.
They are omnivores but if not given the chance they wont do that. Cannibalism is also caused by using white light over 50 watts around them. I used 60 but nothing higher and did not have any cannibalism. The baby chick was no match for a bunch of adults either. Keep them separated.
Worms, bugs and scrap food from the compost I think is fine but raw meat is not good especially as it spoils and putrifies so is just not healthy. Our bodies cells are out numbered ten to one by bacteria and so theirs must be high too. Why stress them out. They are only going to perform worse. Just my opinion.
Mine were born June 30 2011, and I still get 3 eggs a day when the weather is below freezing but not when it's 10C below freezing. Then I get two haha.
I have the Stars, three, they call them Bovan's here. Hybrid from the Netherlands, or a cross of Rhode Island Red and White.

Enjoy your flock to the fullest

I have fourteen inmates, 6 four legged variety and the rest two legged. They all get along quite well too.
I feed them really good and they are happy. No reason to fight over food or be territorial and dominant.
We are lucky enough to be by a river so the dogs can run happily too when I get a chance to leave the zoo..

 

[Yay Chicks!]

You have flax as a grain treat but toxic plants include flax.

Sometimes a plant is included on a list of toxic plants because part of the plant is toxic. Perhaps the leaves are toxic but not the seeds.

 

[LoveNewChicks]

popcorn loves grapes and bread

 

[tilosi]

Maybe posted already.... but I cant find this specifically. Are frozen green beans ok? I know they are cooked, I'm assuming blanched, but does the freezing get rid of the toxin?