Pickiness Differs Between Birds

[centrarchid]

I have a bunch of individually penned chickens plus about 30 kept in groups. The individually penned birds are easier to monitor. When I throw a mix of BOSS, shell corn, millet, and oats in at end of day there is variation between birds as to what they consume first. Most go after shell corn first. A sizable minority consume most of BOSS before going after shell corn. Oats generally last but even those eventually consumed.

Free-ranged groups also demonstrate such a pattern but is hard to follow. Generally shell corn and BOSS goes first at well.

When they are provided about three persimmons per day, some eat them in a big way even when not quite ripe. Others do not eat them unless very hungry. Birds not eating them are not of my breeding.

 

[rjohns39]

There is an unproven theory that chickens know what they need, not withstanding the fact that they like candy. I tend to believe this is true, but have no evidence to support my beliefs. My friend would argue that those who go after BOSS or millet first, need something that's in those. Those who go after corn (aka Candy) aren't lacking anything and just want candy. Last choice is often just cause it's there.

 

[centrarchid]

That may very well be. Not enough mature females in pens watched but they may have been more interested in the BOSS than mature males.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

hi, I have 2 brooders of littles and just today I found something interesting. The batch in my coop(inside a cage) and brooder in my pole barn. I gave both batches some small clover today. Pole barn littles acted afraid of it and coop cage went nuts for it. Couldnt get enough. The difference in these 2 besides breed is age. they are a month apart and location but have been fed the same things.

 

[nminusyplusm]

My flock is small at 5 pullets and they get the same feed but each girl definitely has her favorite treats. In my case, I don't think it has to do with nutrition but it's more personal preference. I have one whose favorite is wheat bran but she's almost indifferent to scratch and meal worms and gives me a dirty look when she doesn't get what she'd hoped for. The one who won't let me near her loves black cherry tomatoes so much that she'll eat them out of my hand, no other tomato will do though. I also have a vacuum chicken who's more than happy to deprive anybody hesitating about a treat of her final decision.

 

[Zoomie]

I think chickens have individual tastes. I have some that go nuts over grapes, some that prefer strawberries etc. My scratch grains are BOSS, corn, oats, barley. And yes, some prefer one over the other and eat that first.

I think to some extent this is learned: one dominant bird goes nuts over grapes, the others learn that grapes must be really cool because #1 likes it so much she plays "chicken keep-away" with it, so they will grab one too. Even so I do notice that in the same pen some birds consistently prefer one type of food, and the others another. I doubt this is because they "know" that some food is what they need. I think they are like us that way: I love ice cream even though it's not good for me to eat too much of it. I love ice cream way more than I love meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

 

[BantyChooks]

There is an unproven theory that chickens know what they need, not withstanding the fact that they like candy. I tend to believe this is true, but have no evidence to support my beliefs. My friend would argue that those who go after BOSS or millet first, need something that's in those. Those who go after corn (aka Candy) aren't lacking anything and just want candy. Last choice is often just cause it's there.

I am on the side of believing that too. I have also noted birds steering clear of things that are known toxins to them, such as a potato with green skin I accidentally gave them once. They had made a tiny hole in the skin, got as much of the inside out as they could reach from there, and then left it. Same thing with onions. Of course, birds that don't get scraps often would probably chow down on them because they're new and different.

 

[centrarchid]

These assertions can be tested.

 

[BantyChooks]

These assertions can be tested.

I have thought of it, but do not have enough pens or birds of the same breed.

 

[Zoomie]

It would be interesting to set up an experiment to see. I asked once, on a science forum, how to randomize which group goes where, and got a really interesting discussion on how to set up something like this. It was pretty complicated and required a LOT of subjects to get good statistics, I remember that! In my original example I was going to use two bean plants... then decided I should go with 20 and was not sure how to set up the control etc. They said I should use something like wheat plants, and that I'd need at least a thousand or so just to test if one type of water made them grow better than another type of water. A thousand - !!

It would be interesting to see though.