My chickens didn't much appreciate the Quaker guy

[alaskachick]

Well, the pumpkins did go over well, so I tried the oatmeal. I made a big pot of warm oatmeal and I even added a little bit of brown sugar! Right now it lays frozen in the bowl in the middle of the yard as the girls and boy did not eat it! Was I suppose to give them the oats dry? I assumed cooked.

 

[Karrie13]

I do think it is supposed to be cooked... at least that is what I remembered reading. To bad they didn't like it, nothing better than a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cold morning!

 

[silkiechicken]

They were probably afraid of it. Try a few more times with small batches. They'll eat it cooked or raw.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you dump it on the ground (yes, clumpy and wet after thawing it out) they might go for it. Mine would.

 

[allieloveschickens]

My chickens like cooked oatmeal, but it did take them a while to realize it was food!

 

[WildflowerJLH]

My chooks get cooked oatmeal every morning, right now, and they love it! When they decided they no longer wanted to eat the sprouts that I have worked hard to have for them, I mixed them in the oatmeal. All gone!

With winter on its way, I bought some starter crumble to mix into it, to help increase the protein content. My oatmeal is 14% protein. Starter is 20%. Using equal parts, by weight, it should be 17%!

 

[Attila the Hen]

I gave my chickens warm oatmeal with yogurt for the first time this morning and they were not impressed. However, several other mornings I have warmed milk and added their food to it to make a mush and they love that. I also used whey from making cheese last week and they loved that too. I warmed it and added their regular food.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Mine love it too. I bring it out to them still steaming warm on a cold morning. Of course, I just eat a handful of cold dry cereal myself.

 

[herefordlovinglady]

YOU HAVE TO COOK IT. IF NOT IT WILL SWELL AND COULD KILL THEM. SAME WITH RICE.

yes i was yelling that. most churches will not let you throw rice at weddings anymore because it is dangerous for the birds.

 

[nuchickontheblock]

Every morning I give my girls a small bowl with some layer pellets mixed with water to make a mush. They will eat that. I keep trying to add other things to it -- yogurt, warm oatmeal, cooked squash -- whatever extra soft food I have around. They seem to hate it! On days that it's plain with water they'll gobble it. When it has anything else, they ignore it.

Mine are very fussy eaters.