Flock block - do you use one?

[Enyawd]

Maybe I shouldn't do it but i give mine bird suet cakes u can get them at tsc five for five n they lovem lol but i also but black sunflower seeds n numorous other treats like watermelon cantaloupe squash green beans they like it all

 

[jeannedeaux]

I only rarely use a flock block when there is ice everywhere in the pen and the chickens are so cooped up together that only the dominant ones can get to the suet block holder full of treats. NOTE: I do not put regular bird suet blocks in that! They should have the kind made for hens--better nutrition and no meat (which I think makes for healthier eggs). It takes about two weeks for 13 chickens (12 hens and a sweet rooster) to go through the flock block. One nice feature is that if one puts it a ways away from the henhouse door, inside the run, it will draw them further outside for air and sunshine even on cold days.

 

[aart]

and no meat (which I think makes for healthier eggs).

Tho chickens are omnivores and should get some animal protein,
because it's good for them....doubt it would affect the eggs much.

 

[WindingRoad]

I used one with two unexpected results: 1). The hens were terrified of it and wouldn't go near it, and 2) . It provided an easy meal for mice and rats.

Not saying either of those will happen to you, that's just what happened to my weird birds...

How did you put it in your run or coop. I don't lay it down. I hang it up for the birds to stretch their necks to peck at it. I put it in the metal cage. I hung one under the roof of my hen house outside for the wild birds and the squirrels leaned upside down and devoured it. In one hanging. D*** squirrels. MY BO and ISABrown, the princesses of the hen house, won't touch it but my 2 SLW love it. The one I buy is about 4x4 inches and has mealworms in it. They can be hard to find. I don't feed the wild bird one.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

... NOTE: I do not put regular bird suet blocks in that! They should have the kind made for hens--better nutrition and no meat

Just for clarification suet is animal fat ...so there is no meat in it just fat.

I gave mine some suet cakes here recently during a stretch of cold weather... probably not the best thing in the world for them... but in moderation I think it’s fine.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

How did you put it in your run or coop. I don't lay it down. I hang it up for the birds to stretch their necks to peck at it. I put it in the metal cage. I hung one under the roof of my hen house outside for the wild birds and the squirrels leaned upside down and devoured it. In one hanging. D*** squirrels. MY BO and ISABrown, the princesses of the hen house, won't touch it but my 2 SLW love it. The one I buy is about 4x4 inches and has mealworms in it. They can be hard to find. I don't feed the wild bird one.

So the one I bought was about 8 inches on each side - I did just set it on the floor of the run....weird birds wouldn't even go into that end of the run. I left the dang thing in there for months and they would never touch it, so the mice just helped themselves.

 

[Mrs. K]

well mine is disappearing. But they are still eating commercial flock feed too. I do think their feathers are shinny, but that just might be the sunshine today after weeks of overcast skies.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How did you put it in your run or coop. I don't lay it down. I hang it up for the birds to stretch their necks to peck at it. I put it in the metal cage. I hung one under the roof of my hen house outside for the wild birds and the squirrels leaned upside down and devoured it. In one hanging.

I hang it in a metal cage, it's the easiest way since the squares fit well in the cages. If you have squirrels coming into the run to eat chicken snacks that'll be tough to combat unless you can fence off the run more securely as they're pretty sneaky and agile. I have squirrels that to eat from my bird feeder but they stay out of the chicken area so I don't mind it.

 

[WindingRoad]

I hang it in a metal cage, it's the easiest way since the squares fit well in the cages. If you have squirrels coming into the run to eat chicken snacks that'll be tough to combat unless you can fence off the run more securely as they're pretty sneaky and agile. I have squirrels that to eat from my bird feeder but they stay out of the chicken area so I don't mind it.

No I put them outside for the Blue Jays. I know many people don't like Blue Jays but I think they are beautiful. Once I found out squirrels could climb my bird feeder I tried to find a new way to hang the blocks. I hung it outside the hen house under the eaves for the Blue Jays and the squirrels just jumped up on the roof ( we have a good snow pack only about a foot high jump) and just hung upside down and gorged themselves.
My run is secure. I have a clear tarp all around the open run. And snow banked up almost to the bottom of the roof. I've actually had to remove some snow around the run so they can get the sunshine in there. Hen house is frozen to the ground so no one's digging either.

 

[rosemarythyme]

No I put them outside for the Blue Jays. I know many people don't like Blue Jays but I think they are beautiful. Once I found out squirrels could climb my bird feeder I tried to find a new way to hang the blocks. I hung it outside the hen house under the eaves for the Blue Jays and the squirrels just jumped up on the roof ( we have a good snow pack only about a foot high jump) and just hung upside down and gorged themselves.

Ahh ok... I thought they were getting to the chicken's portion. Yeah squirrels like to stuff themselves like that. Mine do upside down sit ups to eat from my feeder. They're so smart and persistent it's very hard to stop them once they figure out how to get to something!