Should I slice my grapes?

[Bonzii7]

Hi everyone! I am a very new chicken mom and I don't know if I'm being over cautious. I'm so afraid of my chickens choking! Should I slice their grapes in half? How about celery? Is there anything you would suggest I cut up before serving to reduce any problems? Thanks so much!

Bonzii7

 

[lisa new chickens]

I cut everything up, including grapes. I am afraid of choking as well.

 

[jjthink]

I cut everything up too, in order to try to minimize the chances of a freak choking accident.
JJ

 

[kcfuerst]

I once watched one of my hens gulp down an entire lizard, and another one a half a mouse. I no longer cut up much of anything; they just peck things apart anyway. Haven't you ever notice how they suddenly inhale their food as they run along if they think another gal is going to steal something from them? Since a grape is rather large to get a beak around, they will most likely poke it a few times and shake it before they actually swallow their food.

 

[Cluckn Crazy]

I chopped up food as they prefer it, but I also think it's age related. As they grow, they seem be to getting better with eating whole foods.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
As long as there is grit in their gizzards, if they can get their beak closed on it, it'll go down just fine. Otherwise they'll spit it out and peck it into small enough pieces so they can get their beak closed on it.

 

[pontoosuc]

when my girls were babies (after a few weeks) I cut the grapes in two.

Now (at 7 months, they decide how big of a gulp they want to make)
I've seen entire frogs go down in one big gulp, and other times I see
them pick/peck/shake/ etc. to make something into a smaller size.

I still chop veggies into smaller pieces when I'm putting into the chicken
"tub" for the AM. btw mine they hate celery.
Today they had lobster heads, or rather upper torso's, and picked the heck
out of them and had a ball! The only thing left was a bare shell!

 

[fl_deb]

Now why would you spoil a perfectly healthy game of keep away for your chickens by cutting their food into bite size pices? Geezeee.

Do you think they have a cutting fairey that comes and cuts their food up for them?

All in good fun!

 

[bywaterdog]

I don't even take the grapes off of the bunch, just toss it to them whole. My girls prefer red over white grapes- I think it's just a color thing with their eyesight. I've gone through 15lbs. in the middle of a hot summer's day, keeps them cool and hydrated.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My hens go for my grapevines and eat the grapes on them when it's the season.

So if it were me, I definitely would not chop up grapes for them.

Celery- I wouldn't even feed them. If I had to feed it to them, I would chop it up.