Is there any warm foods I could feed?

[dani813]

Y'all are so funny!

 

[kristenm1975]

I started out with the idea of just feeding them plain old hot cooked oatmeal, but I quickly thought of other things I'd like to add that I know would make for some happy chicken bellies on a cold day.

I put in an undrained can of tuna in water, green peas, minced garlic (to ward off pests and sickness), some yogurt, and served it to them nice and warm. They were a little slow to get into it as they'd never seen anything like it. It was steaming a little and I think it threw off the less intrepid (or hungry) of the gang. Pretty quick though, it was so popular the pecking order got momentarily thrown aside!

Since then, I've gone from getting only one little pullet egg a day to four eggs, and half of them from my older girls, so they're nice and big.

With that kind of success, I decided to try giving them some portion of hot food every morning before I leave for work. So far, I've tried grits with tuna and veggies with a little curdled buttermilk, cornmeal mush with veggies and leftovers, and a big pile of hot noodles once. If I trim meat before I cook it, I also throw that in there. It cooks a teeny bit when it gets mixed in with the hot cereals.

The egg production continues strong and steady at 4 a day. I have 20 hens so I'm hoping the others will get the idea and join the party.

 

[nerfy]

I have to show this thread to my DH. He thinks I'm nuts!
I prepare warm oatmeal, with all kinds of different stuff mixed in. (apple, cantaloupe, yogurt, spinach, etc.) Will have to try all the great ideas here.
I think he get jealous because I take priority over my hens to provide them a nice warm breakfast. I remind him often that happy hens provide OUR breakfast!

 

[LilBizzy]

I'm glad I'm not the only "weird" one. I, too started out with just plain oatmeal. Now I mix all sorts of stuff in there- fruit, veggies, and green stuff ( spinach or kale). I cook breakfast for the chickens. The parrots get some too. Hubby has to cook for himself and the dog

If there is some leftovers, I'll substitute rice or pasta for the oatmeal, but I still add in veggies and fruits and green stuff.
Yes, I cook for my husbands chickens, but not for him....



ETA: I put their bowls down, and check for eggs. By the time I am done checking for eggs, they have pretty much wiped the bowls clean. Not a speck left. They get the bowl cleaner than the dog would. They LOVE it.

 

[cyrixlord]

I'm a rice kinda guy. heat it up in the microwave for 10 seconds from last nights dinner and BAM you're done!

Yams are fun too

 

[cackle]

This morning I had juiced a glass of carrot/apple juice for breakfast. I took all the pulp and added some water and a cup of scratch. Let it come to a boil then simmer 15 minutes. COvered and once it cooled gave it to the girls and roo. They loved it. Some mornings L just pour boiling water over the cracked corn they seem to like it better than the dry corn.


Susan

 

[lorihadams]

Leftover pieces of deer meat that we salvaged from out latest kill. All the nibbly bits that we really can't do anything with, I cook in boiling water and use the warm broth for mixing with my dog's food and the chickens get the warm meat bits.
I also give them layer pellets mixed with hot water and a little scratch and they love it--that's what I give them on the days that I haven't gotten enough sleep and I'm feeling lazy.
Oatmeal mixed with a little yogurt is also another favorite. Clover...kind of like nice side salad for them. I try to give them a little treat every day....I'm awful, spoil them rotten.
Caught them under my front porch a few days ago cleaning up all the cat food that had fallen through the cracks. Got that one on their own...they're getting too smart for their own good...caught 3 of my hens sneaking up the back porch steps today....pretty soon they'll be in the house at the kitchen table!!!

Lori

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

My favorite to make is egg bread. I found the recipe here on this forum somewhere. This morning I added three overripe bananas to it and it smelled really yummy. I think you could add whatever you have on hand.

Egg Bread

Preheat oven to 300, grease and flour bread pan.

Beat 10 eggs, add 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup cornmeal and 1/4 cup wheat germ. Mix well and pour into bread pan.

Bake for one hour. Remove from pan, cut into smaller pieces to allow to cool evenly before feeding.

 

[Cats Critters]

oatmeal, mine think it's a gift from the gods

also know as me

( can you tell that went strait to my head

)

 

[CK Chickadilly]

digitS' :

Quote:
The scratch I buy has what I think is barley in it, as well as the cracked corn. I've added wheat before and, as I said, peas & chickpeas.

No, I don't feel like it has to really be soft. Part of my idea was to get those legumes cooked so the chickens could make good use of them. I figured about 20 minutes should do it.

DW said you better put lots of water in that stuff. So I did - an hour later, it was still cooking

. The rice cooker works on some kind of switch that turns off when it gets too hot, apparently. Put in lots of water - it stays cooler - and it cooks and cooks and cooks.

So, I use like 1 cup of feed to 2 cups of water (maybe not even that much). It turns itself to "keep warm" in about 20 minutes. I couldn't eat it without a lot of chewing but then . . . I'm not eating it

.

Spoiling? I don't know. If it's good food - a little extra attention makes for happy hens. Happy hens mean more eggs. Don't you think

?

Steve

Definately! Happy hens DO make more eggs!

Late yesterday afternoon during another wonderful MI blizzard of blowing, drifting snow w/very cold temps, I brought them left over veggie & bean soup mixed with oatmeal & they chowed it BIG time! The second I get out there, it's like, whatcha got, whatcha got!

Yes very spoiled chickens.

Edited to ad: I forgot to mention I gave the soup/oatmeal mix to the 4-5 week old chicks & they loved it too! They are starting to broaden their little horizons