Fussy feeders are getting expensive

[CluckyChook]

I hear you all saying that your chooks eat all sorts of scraps, stale bread, old cerial, stemed veg and all these other lovely cheap food & leftovers options but mine just won't eat them. I have tryed fresh herbs/weeds, toast, yogurt, veggie pealings (not pototos) leftover veg......you name it I have tryed to get my silly chooks to eat it as part of their daily diet ! They also leave approx a third of the laying mix (pre-mixed and bagged) that I buy for them and I can see this becoming a very expensive food if alot of it gets left on the ground.
They graze grass quite happily and eat all the bugs they can catch and are out in the pen for the majority if the day.......but I really want leftover munchers.....what can I do ? I have Langshans and understand that they have a slightly higher food cost because they are going to be big chooks (big pullets at the moment) but what can be done about fussy eaters. Can I starve them to force them to eat what I leave out or is that just asking for trouble ?

Also should meat be given raw or cooked and are sausages to full of fat, salt etc for them to eat?

Thanks

 

[NonnasBabies]

I've never really understood picky chickens when mine will eat anything and everything that I give them. I give them cooked & raw meat!! Don't really know of a way to get them to eat it. Do you give them scratch?? If they do you might try putting the stuff you want them to eat in a container and sprinkle scratch on top. Maybe they will at least try it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

They are fussy because they are not really hungry.

Trust me, cut way back for a day on the commercial feed, as in none! When you bring the scraps, they'll eat them. They are smart and have the pattern figured out. "Why should they eat this strange stuff?" "We'll just wait til she brings us the food we've always eaten."

As they forage, they will eat live buys, live worms, etc. Yes, they live the meat very rare.

But, they'll eat cooked meat too.

 

[blefky]

Another thing you might try is to mix whatever new food your introducing in with something they really like. Once tried, mine seem to enjoy most foods (though not all).

 

[vickiecampbellusa]

Night before last, our neighbors came over with a "cat carrier"... asking if we would adopt the "3 baby chicks" inside it. Michael's science class hatched them and the teacher planned to euthanize them if the students couldn't take them home (parents said "NO") Thus... we took them and now, the 3 are in our enclosed back porch. We moved them to a "dog carrier"

with a 120 watt flood light pointing in thru the door (it was inside, but it appeared to be getting too warm so I moved it just outside... Now, they are huddled in front of it. They came with only a little wood shavings and they were soon depleted, so we put in newspaper. FEEDING ADVICE needed. Michael had just a little starter left, and the local feed mills and farm supplies stored were all closed (it was Sat. evening)... We have a 8 month old rooster so I took some of his "mix" (cracked corn, seeds and pellets) and I whirled it in my food processor until it became "crumbles". They love it... they must have been starved, because they "continuously ate" it all night Sat. night, and all day yesterday. Since it is not for chicks... DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE OKAY TO KEEP FEEDING IT TO THEM? We kept the chick feeder inside the carrier, but I took it out earlier this a.m. I've been up since 3:30 AM! CAN WE FEED THEM "X" TIMES PER DAY? or IS IT BETTER TO LEAVE IT INSIDE WITH THEM? We plan to go to a local feed milling store today. WHAT TYPE OF FEED DO YOU RECOMMEND?

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Basically, for a stopgap measure, you can feed them most anything they won't choke on. Certainly if you or other chickens can eat it, they can. You did very well grinding up the rooster's food and giving it to them.

That said, the main no-no is layer, because the extra calcium will harm their kidneys and other organs, can even kill them if really overdone, when they are very young. You should be able to pick up chick starter or starter-grower and that's all they actually need. Feed should be available all the time when they are awake. They will need some small grit, chick grit or the fine stuff at the bottom of the bag of chicken grit, if you choose to feed them your food or if they forage at all -- which it would be good if they start doing very soon, even if only for short periods.

Next step is reading on here and setting up a coop, which they will need very soon.

You really should have started your own thread. Just go to the right forum, in this case Raising Baby Chicks, and click on "start new topic" at the upper right hand corner.

Lots of folks on here will help with whatever you can't find -- or if you are in a hurry.

Good luck, and enjoy!

Oh, feel free to handle them all you want; helps tame them.

 

[Arthur]

Another thing,, You should get them off the newspaper. Not good for their legs. Can cause splaying(?) I kept mine on shavings and they did well.

 

[CluckyChook]

Thankyou for your advice, I think I'll cut right back on their food and try all the other methods to entice them to eat scraps. They do love meat but I have only given them raw so far, happy to know they can get leftover BBQ also.

Vickycampbelusa - I hope you little chooks are doing OK and you get as much joy out of them as I do with mine....they are funny and stupid and entertaining all at the same time ! Good Luck