How many of you COOK for your chickens???

[pepperluvsmee]

Suenrob! Welcome to the wonderful world of CHICKENS!! They are such wonderful and giving creatures!

Yes, it is ok to give your birds stale cereal as long as it is not funky. Just use your best judgment. Mine are rather finiky.
Stay away from bread, it really has no nutritional value. But everything else other then chicken food is "junk food" so feed it wisely. Otherwise have fun and enjoy your birds!!
-Theresa & The ZOO

 

[Roux]

Whole wheat couscous, quinoa, brown rice & whole-wheat pasta are big hits over here! They also get scrambled eggs (although sometimes I can't quite wrap my brain around that) & the occasional buckwheat pancakes (w/mushed up banana instead of sugar in the recipe, and rice milk instead of dairy).

For some reason oatmeal hasn't been a huge hit...I should try the mealworm trick & see if that seasons it up a bit.

For uncooked stuff it's a mix of broccoli, red bell peppers, apples (cored), cherry tomatoes, grapes, butternut & spaghetti squashes, cucumber, various greens, cracked corn, and a variety of bird seed mixes, along with their bug ration (mealworms, hissing roaches, hornworms, crickets & wigglers) & pellets.

Have also discovered that they will absolutely eat frozen-thawed mice. Our walk-in freezer is next to the coop, and some of my girls discovered a couple of small frozen mice that were accidentally dropped in transit. Talk about a game of keep-away-that's-mine-gonna-eat-it-can't-stop-me!!!!

 

[Churkenduse]

I am a brand new chicken owner, I guess I have a lot to learn, I never even thought of cooking for them!!!! (My DH will be jealous)

And you really shouldn't some of us get carried away.

I my humble opinion and there are many that agree: these are wild animals and they need to eat what they are used to and that is raw vegetation. Cooking now and again is ok.

Someone mentioned raw lentils, if you soak them over night and drain 2x a day you get a great healthy food it is call bean sprouts I do it and they love it, it is good to toss in your own salads. I let them grow large and they are actually eating plants, that is what they like and should be given and it is extremely cheap. 1 pound lentils is about .90 cents and it can grow to a couple of pounds sprouts that is agood deal. try it they will like it

 

[Roux]

Quote:
Out of curiosity (as I'm still learning a lot about these birds), where does that put feeding a pelleted diet? I'm guessing that practical rules of "things in moderation" apply here - i.e. free range as much as possible, supplemented with free-choice pellets, and then other goodies (i.e. cooked foods, extra bugs) from time to time?

Also, aren't chickens technically domesticated birds?

Looking fwd to learning more from you!

 

[pepperluvsmee]

YES! Chickens are domestic animals. We as humans have forced them to reply on us for thier protection, safety and foodno matter how you look at it. We are repsosible for them in some way.
My birds get a chicken crumble free choice and then cracked corn twice a day in the winter, only because corn is really very fattening.
If they had to find thier own food here in the winter, they would all starve to death. Vegitation is nil along with bugs.
Have fun and enjoy your birds!

 

[hooligan]

This afternoon my birdies got some whole wheat elbow maccaroni with borage oil, kelp, eggs and hot pepper flakes. I swear, so far, this is the biggest hit besides their oatmeal!

 

[pepperluvsmee]

Geez oh petes Hooligan!!! lol COuld u make enough for everyone???? Hold the hot pepper pleeeeez!

-Theresa

 

[hooligan]

Don't know if you'd want to sample it or not...smelled pretty bad to me

 

[birdnutz]

Mine got BOSS sprouts,broccoli(raw).cabbage leafs(raw),apples,pears and boiled eggs smashed with shell today. Hot peppers are great for adding vitamin A to their diet. Birds have a dry mouth so hot doesn't bother them. Mine aren't thrilled with oatmeal either,works a little better if I add lots of boiled eggs. My ducks are addicted to dog food, I'm trying to break that habit.

 

[FlightsofFancy]

I make a Protien egg bread for my finches and my chickens LOVE it! They only get it once a week. They also get yogurt, cottage cheese, veggies and for some reason they have started malling my 2 year old daughter for her sippy cup of milk. Go figure, but it is kinda cute to watch her share.

Egg Bread
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
12 large eggs
1/4 cup wheat germ oil or flax oil

Oven @ 400, put a liitle wheatgerm oil in 9x12 baking dish.
Mix all ingredients and pour in dish.
Bake for 25 minutes then check,(score it to help it dry out more) will probably need 5 more minutes. You want it to be dry, but not burnt. Let it cool and then crumble or put in food processor. Store in the freezer.