Feeding fruit?

[BlackBart]

My Sumatras used to climb the crabapple tree to pick off the fruit. There is not a ripe blackberry, huckleberry or wild strawberry on the property thanks to the chickens.

 

[Chick15]

I did also read this article or maybe another on no fruit as it slows egg production and I was just about to make a post, but I saw this. it is good because we have been feeding them watermelon and such.

 

[Kitty Cat]

I feed my hens fruit as a treat all the time, I've never noticed a drop in egg production, rather the opposite.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I let the neighbor kids come feed them and we fed them too much fruit over a few days and I started getting soft shelled eggs. I'm not sure that was as much as symptom of the fresh fruit, but the fact that they were then not eating as much of their layer feed and getting the protein and calcium they need.

So I stopped the fruit and started getting normal eggs the following day.

I still feed them fruit but just a little for a treat. I don't let one hen have a whole banana to put it in perspective.

 

[ChicksterJo]

I feed mine fruit at least three times a week because we have too many nectarines and peaches here and of course a grapevine. Our neighbor also gives us nectarines and peaches from his garden and they rot quickly because of the heat. However I have not noticed anything wrong with two of my layers; they just started but their eggs look fine. And no chicken of mine ever gets just one fruit to herself; they all fight over it!

 

[karlamaria]

Morning they get watermelon, afternoon they get strawberries, blue berries pitted cherries, grapes, what ever I have on hand. Usually all of them lol . They love fruit and I think a happy bird is a laying bird. For dinner they got turkey and potatoes, they went mad simple mad over it lol.

 

[My11BabyChicks]

My girls go nuts for the guts of any melon, the left overs of watermelon and LOVE cherries!