I think my hens need an intervention

[Sphinx]

They have become addicted to tomatoes.

I've brought a couple grape tomatoes with me each time I visit them (one for each hen), and now when they see me coming, they RUN for me.

At what point do I worry about just how many tomatoes I'm giving them?

I'm also incredibly cruel (or a great drug dealer) because their pen is right by my garden, so they get to look at ripening tomatoes alllllll day long.

 

[sharol]

Mine love the little tomatoes (well actually any tomatoes) too. When I go out to the run (they are 6 weeks old), they rush at me to see what I have. There is chicken chaos if it is tomatoes. I'd like to know if there is a maximum they can have too. I don't want to detract from the chicken starter feed, but they are growing like bad weeds in August, so I must be doing something right.

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[rcentner]

what will they do when they go through withdrawl? This is what you should be worried about, imagine...crazy tomatoless hens sweating and shaking, lol

 

[Mrs. K]

Princess - don't let those girls out, or your garden might be toast.

As to what to do when the season is over.....welll..... if you are really a chicken nut..... not admitting anything here, but have heard told

that when you can tomatoes, and you have the skins, seeds, and cores left over, well that is too much for a couple of chickens all at one time... however if you stick it in the freezer, and pull it out mid January.....they will be sooo happy... Well they will lay eggs for you! mrsK

 

[Sphinx]

Our girls are only let out under highly supervised conditions, so we stand guard at the garden. They haven't been out since they've become seriously addicted though. It may be fun to watch them.

How many tomatoes a day is ok, do you think?

 

[33yardbirds]

When can we expect to see them on Dr Phil? Of course you, being the enabler will have to appear in the "Hot Seat"

 

[Sphinx]

I dunno, this may be tawdry enough to be more of a Maury Povich topic...

 

[mangled]

We found it easier to fence the garden, LOL.

My girls LOVE tomatoes. Last summer, I was working a weekend of double shifts, 6 AM to 1020 PM, and one of the kids left the gate to the garden open. My husband, unaware of the open garden gate, let the chickens out to free range and left for work. I closed them when I got home, etc.,... Anyway, Monday morning, as I took my coffee and morning smoke outside, I let the chickens out and watched in horror as they STAMPEDED towards the garden.

Long story short, 56 tomato plants, LOADED with tomatoes, decimated. Plus my cabbage, lettuce, peas, everything, LOL.

I'm guessing tomatoes in moderation should be okay for your hens. Mine didn't OD on them, and they had to have gorged on them.

Blessings-
Em

 

[Stranazingarella]

My hens love the cherry tomatoes and I throw a few in every day as an extra treat.

 

[toto65]

I give my chickens and turkeys all of my vegetable scraps, tomato, cucumber, and today I had a head of iceberg lettuce that was a little bit faded so I put it in their outdoor run. Brutus the rooster ran up and pecked it so hard that he drove his beak in all the way to his face! He looked so strange! The hens ran over and started pecking at it and it fell off, he was so mad at it that he jumped on top of it and stood there crowing. what a show off. By the time they got sone with what they hadn't eaten they had shredded all over the ground. So glad I didn't put it in their freshly cleaned coop.