How do I introduce kitchen scraps to my chickens?

[gryeyes]

I, too, have experienced the chick horror at discovering Killer Peas in their food dish. Terrified little goobers, all huddled together at the far end of the brooder. Mean mommy that I am, I left the Mad, Rampaging Chick Killing Peas in their dormant state in the dish and went away.

Two hours later, when I returned to the Bathroom/Nursery, there were dismembered pea bits all over the brooder. Brave, brave chicks!

 

[pirtykitty]

so far mine LOVE Strawberries... hardboiled eggs,.. Lettuce.. I gave them some pear this evening, strawberries, and some cottage cheese on a plate.. didn't try the pear yeat but the strawberries and cottage cheese were a hit.. a few days ago I offered them a piece of bannana.. didn't like it.. I have 4 or 5 plants of collard greens and discovered they are eating on it.. Thought it was worms at first but caught then pecking at it this morning.. they also like to hide under the leaves and take dirt baths..
If I make oatmeal one day I'll offer them some of it.

Went out and checked after about 30 minutes. Strawberries and cottage cheese were gone.. The pears had been pecked on.. I picked them up and showed them again to the girls and they sampled them some more.. I put them back on plate then decided to roll them in some of the chick food and put them by it.. will go out before dark and remove whats left..

Meal worms are alwas a hit too.. they don't know what to do with worms yet.. funny cause the ducks will kill for a worm.. LOL

 

[moetrout]

I started with scrambled egg and oatmeal when they were young. Leave it for them in a dish, someone will get brave eventually.

 

[romadfox]

I have 6 hens 9 weeks old. They haven't been too much interested in much of what I brought them at 6-8 weeks, but this week they're getting a little more adventurous. I have been giving them stale bread, apple, potato peels, and really ripe tomatos. They peck at them a little but don't really tear in. However, I was cutting the grass the other day and I tossed in a bunch of fresh cut grass. They LOVED it! They went into hyper scratching and pecking mode. They'll be getting that treat about once a week through the summer

I'm going to just keep tossing little leftover scraps in and see hohw it goes. I am positive they'll realize what a good daddy I am.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
There is really no reason you should even be considering giving 1 mo olds treats, at that age they really don't even know very much. Don't force them, shoot give them some time to grow up before you send the off to act in a broadway show. All I am saying is take it a little easier, when you were a baby your parent's didn't give you a knife & fork and a T-Bone steak, see what I mean

 

[04SportsterChick]

Hi All-
Forgive me if this is a stupid question ( still new to this chicken thing ) but when you all say oatmeal are you cooking it? I think it sounds like you are but I just wanted to check. My girls are 8 wks now and have pecked a little at strawberries and apple peel. Nothing like when they find a beetle and go crazy over it. Thanks for all the info I can't wait to get my first egg this summer!!

 

[wood&feathers]

Somewhere around 1 month age for our chicks, my kids conned me into buying a bag of crickets at the pet store. Boy that was a hit. Better than TV. There were a couple shrinking violets in the corners, but the rest giddily chased each other for pieces and parts. Crickets are nice for the action.

I really think the MTV Puppy Bowl is kinda lame. They need a Chick Bowl, with meal worms or crickets.

 

[gryeyes]

While a lot of folks actually do cook oatmeal for their chooks, I am not one of them. I buy the old fashioned (not quick) oatmeal with no added salt - it's the cheapie store brand - and use that as a hand-feeding treat. I do have to toss some out to the less-senior birds blocked by the greedy girls with higher rank in the pecking order. They love it.

For chicks, y'all might cook it. Adult birds, no need to do so.

 

[Kudzu]

Buy a Cornish Hen/quail and thaw it out and introduce it to the gang. Prolly change their attitudes. Now, I know I am not an eggpert, but I did stay in an n Holliday Inn last night.

 

[ChicksterJo]

I gave my big girls some corn on the cob yesterday..and they looked at it like it was from another planet. In fact, one of them went so far as to jump back two feet in the air, squawking all the way. Some hours later, I find the corn cob completely clean.