Providing Greens Warning

[silarajc]

I just wanted to share my experience in order to inform other noobs like me:

I have been pulling a clump of dandelion leaves and flowers every few days for my chicks to forage on, since they only get to come out for an hour or so. Yesterday, only the leaves broke off. I didn't think anything of it and put them in the brooder.

I witnessed my 4.5 week old chick consume an entire dandelion leaf from the tip down, except the last couple of inches of stem. Then she ran around cheeping and shaking her head. I of course captured her and pulled the whole thing out (made her mad), but if I hadn't been there I don't know if she could have eventually broken it off or swallowed it.

So my takeaway: only give greens to chicks if they are in a large enough clump that they can bite of pieces, or if they are cut up. Buying some herb shears today!

 

[MageofMist]

I just wanted to share my experience in order to inform other noobs like me:

I have been pulling a clump of dandelion leaves and flowers every few days for my chicks to forage on, since they only get to come out for an hour or so. Yesterday, only the leaves broke off. I didn't think anything of it and put them in the brooder.

I witnessed my 4.5 week old chick consume an entire dandelion leaf from the tip down, except the last couple of inches of stem. Then she ran around cheeping and shaking her head. I of course captured her and pulled the whole thing out (made her mad), but if I hadn't been there I don't know if she could have eventually broken it off or swallowed it.

So my takeaway: only give greens to chicks if they are in a large enough clump that they can bite of pieces, or if they are cut up. Buying some herb shears today!

I either hold the plant for them to eat it from, or cut the pieces up for them. When I have the chicks out I sometimes have to rescue the silly things from long blades of grass, as the chicks think they can eat a blade of grass longer than themselves!

The chicks always get mad at me when I take the grass (and once a very confused looking large beetle) out of their beaks, angrily squeaking at me, but I fear they may choke or get impacted by them.

 

[aart]

Quote: This can also apply to older birds that are given gathered greens.

Don't forget to give your chicks grit to get those gizzards in shape.
http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf

 

[rosemarythyme]

This can also apply to older birds that are given gathered greens.

Totally agree. I tear up most of the greens I hand out after I saw one of my birds struggling to swallow an entire carrot frond. I hadn't thought they'd be happy to eat the stem as well as the leafy parts. For sturdier stalks like cauliflower and broccoli greens, I let them have those attached to the stalk so they can spend time picking at it.

 

[aart]

Quote: Drives me nuts,
they scratch with their feet and tear stuff up with their beaks.
Why don't they hold stuff down with their feet while tearing with beaks?!?!?
Nope they just bang it on the ground and/or shake their heads....sMh...haha!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Drives me nuts,
they scratch with their feet and tear stuff up with their beaks.
Why don't they hold stuff down with their feet while tearing with beaks?!?!?
Nope they just bang it on the ground and/or shake their heads....sMh...haha!

Hehe I had always wondered why they don't hold something down with the feet the way a parrot would, which would allow them to tear off small pieces (I guess their feet aren't as nimble). Instead it's, "OMG KALE!" and then *gagging noise as chicken attempts to swallow a plant whole while choking the entire time.*

 

[aart]

Quote: I Know, Right!?