Limit their tomatoes??

[McKenley5]

We have recently discovered that the girls LOVE tomatoes! They will eat as many as the kids will feed them. I have been letting them feed them a couple every evening, but my mom said, "Won't it give them diarrhea?"...I was like, "uummmmm...I don't know"

Do you think that I should limit their tomatoes, or just let them enjoy the treats while they are available??

 

[emys]

It's probably OK. How many do they get?

Also, remember that hens don't urinate. Everything is passed out the same exit, so watery poop for them doesn't always mean sick.

 

[McKenley5]

Well, the kids usually cut up 2 or 3 tomatoes each evening and it is split between the 6 hens. They would probably eat more though...they go NUTS for them. My son even hold them up a few inches above thier heads and they will jump up to get a bite...they are hilarious!

 

[tclegg]

It should be fine--just don't let them eat the plant/green parts--that is toxic to them...

 

[Zonoma]

My hens eat far more than 3 tomatoes at a time. In fact, when I make tomato sauce to can we scoop out all the tomato guts and give it to them by the bowl full. They're healthy and happy- and very, very greedy.

 

[donrae]

Quote:
Yeah, mine just got the stem and blossom ends from a HUGE batch of salsa, along with the pepper and onion scraps. Next day, you'd have thought the eggs would be salsa-flavored!

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Chickens frequently have more diarrhea-like manure during the summer. It's because they drink so much water in the effort to keep cool and hydrated. They don't have a separate urination process, so they drop eliminate the excess water in their manure.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Sorry. I don't have an answer to your question, but I love the picture. Very sweet

Your chickens look like they are politely waiting their turn for a treat. If I sat on the ground to feed mine treats, I'd probably lose an eye...or at least a few fingers

 

[shakti2u]

Tomatoes are great and I don't think you can give them too many. I'd let them eat the treats while you have them.

Sylvia

 

[jtbrown]

When I canned tomatoes this summer, I used food mill to get the seeds and peels out, I then put it in plasticware and let it cool. I then put it on drive when flock is free ranging, and they go nuts. Crops are so full, they look like they could bust. They all came running both times I did this. Small amount of cooked onion (very small and very cooked down) is in there too and I have noted no off tastes in eggs. They lovethe stuff. They like fresh tomatoes too. I don't think it is harmful.