need ideas for treats, got some picky chickens

[MommyMagpie]

Our 4 Cochins are food snobs. If it's not in the feeder they won't touch it! They have an issue with feather picking and I am trying to get more protein into them but how to do this if they won't eat anything but their layer crumbles? So far we've tried cooked chicken, some leftover ribs (with bones cracked so they could get the marrow), and DS10 is taking them some yogurt right now.

Other things they have refused to eat are leftover pasta, salad greens, cabbage and leftover cooked veggies from our dinner. I give the Cochins first dibs on all this stuff and give it in their coop on a dish so they don't have to deal with the 4 RSL girls who will eat anything. In all cases I have ended up taking the dish and putting it out in the yard where the RSLs dive in with great joy.

Anyone got any suggestions?

 

[stubbornhill]

I would offer scrambled eggs. Seems counter productive I know but chickens like eggs too! Another option, oatmeal. I bet they'll like the eggs though. Good luck!

 

[katschicks11]

My girls must just had their chicken food to eat before I got them, they thought layer crumbles was best thing in the world. They would act like treats was nasty, I tried shredded apples, carrots, raw meat, cooked meat, bread, cat food, yogurt, I even tried giving them a earthworm she grabbed it then spat it out like eww yuck

That was a week ago, I started to add a bit of their crumbles to whatever I wanted them to try, they wanted the crumbles so they would end up trying other things. Slowly they are liking other things, now they LOVE bread, are eating yogurt, shredded apples, cooked meat and today I tried baked sweet potato and they liked it the first time, so try adding some of their food to what your giving and keep trying.
It took me giving them apples 4 times before they quit turning there noses at it.

 

[jmtcmkb]

I have 5 picky chicks too! I have tried boiled eggs, yogurt, dried meal worms, apples- they pretty much refuse all of these. What they go absolutely crazy over is sprouts. I have a sprouter and a salad seed mix- They have been eating them daily for 2 weeks, they love them. I ahve also heard just like kids you have to try more than once or twice.

 

[roxyblue]

My picky chooks like:
lettuce,
cabage,
CHEESE,

cottage cheese,
yogurt,
meal worms,
oatmeal,
bread (but be carefull not to give them to much)
dreid cranberrys

they just give a blank stare and walk away if I offer anything else.

 

[littlecreekfarm]

Try mealworms.....my chickens love 'em! you may also try Kickin' Chicken feed supplement to put in their feed...it has molasses in it and the chickens love it!

 

[TN_BIRD]

What about bird seed / scratch grain / corn?

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

My chickens LOVE anything and everything.

I would try bananas they love those.

 

[MommyMagpie]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will try fixing them some scrambled egg tomorrow, and I think I have some sprouts in the frig too. I have a feeling these gals weren't paid too much attention at their previous home; they were very skittish when we first got them but have started to warm up to us handling them now. I will also try mixing some of the layer crumbles in with whatever I offer them too.

I have tried bird seed, I buy a mixed wild bird seed with BOSS in it and every so often I throw a handful or two out on the ground for the chickens....the RSLs go nuts but the two times I've done it with the Cochins in the yard they didn't touch it (I even threw theirs over away from the other girls to try to stave off a fight).

Mealworms I can get at the bait shop....and I have some apples I need to core and bake, so they can have the cores of those.

 

[Feral tabby]

My 3 rescued red stars love oats and REALLY love sunflower hearts. Of course, snails and worms are also favorites. We also recently got a new feed to try that we will be incorporating into their crumble and eventually transition them. It's called Scratch and Peck and it contains whole grains...like actual seeds. They LOVE it!!! It's organic, corn and soy free, and comes out of northwestern Washington from local growers.