how to prepare cucumber for chickens?

[TheBeatlesAddict]

today i was going to feed my chickens cucumber but i didnt know how or if it needs to be cut? i decided to just cut them into the tiniest pieces i could until i could get some feedback. i dont want them to choke or not be able to eat it

 

[zatsdeb]

I just slice them in half long way and let them pick at it.

 

[TheBeatlesAddict]

ok. thank you. i was afraid they might choke on the skin or something. im very new at this

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Your chickens are very fortunate to have such a careful & considerate owner.

Personally, I think chickens are less likely to choke on things left mostly whole, so that they can peck off bites just big enough for them to handle. I think they're more likely to choke when they grab cut pieces that are really too big, but in their haste to consume it before their flockmates can, they try to swallow it down. But that's just my theory, I may be wrong.

I once saw a video of someone's hen swallowing a snake. After that I didn't worry so much about chopping up treats before serving them to my birds.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I do it both ways. If I chop things, I usually chop them small enough to easily swallow. Otherwise, I give them something so large that they just eat bites off of it. For foods they're unfamiliar with, if it has a firmer outside skin, it's good to at least open it up, so they can find the tasty center.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Sure, like watermelon or pumpkin, you gotta at least chop it in half with a shovel. But I think it's a waste of my time to pre-mince other things that they can just as easily peck into pieces themselves.

 

[6Micks]

I just throw the cucumbers in whole. Gives them something to work at. There is nothing left when they are finished. I have noticed their egg production is down since I started giving them cucumbers every day. Less calcium from feed I suppose.

 

[SueT]

I have an excess of cucumbers, but greatly limit what I give the chickens as too much will give them loose messy poop. And any foods other than their chicken feed will dilute the nutrition that they need for laying eggs. They don't care if they lay less eggs, but I certainly do!

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Like some of the others said, I usually either give them a whole cucumber, ir slice it length wise. Mine don't usually eat the skin.

 

[llombardo]

today i was going to feed my chickens cucumber but i didnt know how or if it needs to be cut? i decided to just cut them into the tiniest pieces i could until i could get some feedback. i dont want them to choke or not be able to eat it

I do this too. I cut blueberries, grapes, tomatoes. I was going to give cucumber today but I didn't want to chop it up. So now I know to cut it in half and toss of out there.