how much treats?

[OKbirdwatcher]

I'd like to feed our hens some yogurt or cottage cheese occasionally, but I have no idea how much I should feed 10 hens at one time.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Don't know if it will help, but I've heard to only feed them enough treats that they can clean up in 10 minutes. Supposedly this does not upset their balanced diets.

 

[OKbirdwatcher]

Thank you Ridgerunner.

I crumbled up a leftover biscuit the other day and they devoured it in less than 30 seconds. You'd have thought they were starving. I didn't realize chickens would go at something like that.

I learn something new about them every day.

I'll start with a 1/4 cup or so of yogurt or cottage cheese and see how it goes. First I have to get some bowls that won't tip over!

Hope you enjoy your Orpingtons. I would really like to have some one day. They were my first choice, but we have Black Australorps and RIRs right now. Love my girls! They are providing us many lovely eggs.

OT: I love Arkansas! (esp. NW area)

 

[gritsar]

I give my 15 chickens 1/2 a pint of plain yogurt at a time. Other, not-so-healthy treats like bread I limit to three slices at a time. I try to be sure that their treats make up no more than 10% of their daily intake.

 

[OKbirdwatcher]

gritsar,

Maybe 1/2 cup of yogurt for 10 then. I can't wait to give them some tomorrow.

I'll try to not over treat them.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
In case nobody has warned you yet, you need to set the bowl down and then step back, way back. They fling it everywhere. It's a hoot!

 

[OKbirdwatcher]

gritsar,

The yogurt was a big hit! and you're right - it was a hoot!!

I got out of the way, but the girls looked like they'd had a yogurt shower and were eating it off each others feathers.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

We feed ours popcorn now. Our chickens are simply PIGS WITH FEATHERS!. They get all our leftover leftovers plus we pop up 2 cups of popcorn which fills a kitchen size garbage can and they get this every day in addition to their layer feed. We just got rid of a few but we have 101 chickens on the ground of various ages. No, they are not over weight and no it does not affect egg production, we had over 900 eggs this past month and in line to have over 1000 eggs this month. We have found that they will only eat until they are full and leave the rest for later. I couldn't imagine feeding our yougurt, it would take gallons.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
oh my goodness that's a lot of eggs!

do you sell to local stores?

where do they all go?

 

[Judy]

I have read here that treats should not exceed 5% to 10% of their diet. Not easy to estimate if you don't track what they eat in feed, and I'm certainly too lazy to do that.

Well, let's see. My (50) 10-week-old chicks go through 50 lbs of feed in a week or less. They do have a large (75'x75') pen with grass and weeds and bugs, but probably don't eat that much out there, sorry to say. So I should be able to give 2.5 lbs of treats a week without problem. No way I have that much in kitchen scraps, bread heels, etc. Guess I'm OK.