So, they didn't seem to like the lobster too much...

[Marshchick]

I'd read that some folks feed fish or fish racks (skeletons with meat/heads/etc.) to their chickens, kind of like the oyster shell thing. So last night we tried the remains of the lobster bodies. They didn't seem to like it too much but it was just their first try. We'll offer it again the next time we have it, and see how they do with it.

 

[Dawn419]

Anytime I introduce any kind of new food scraps to our chickens they look at me like I've lost my mind! You can just read it their faces, "You expect us to eat THAT?"

 

[Marshchick]

LOL!! That's exactly how they looked at me! I'm wondering if the smell was also a bit much for them. A few of them tried it, and it was so funny. They'd wipe their beaks back and forth in the grass as if to wipe it off saying "Good God woman, what are you trying to do, poison us!?"

 

[Yay Chicks!]

They were probably waiting for the drawn butter. Or perhaps a side of caviar. Silly birds.

 

[duckinnut]

"Oh sure you eat all the sweet meat with drawn butter and a glass of wine and you give us the shells and gaucamole,thanks for nothing" So much for happy chickens

 

[kannna]

The beak wipe thing is completely normal and doesn't neccesarily mean they dislike it. They do that with lots of things they love. Yogurt, watermelon, strawberries. Next time they will run at you to get it. Mine also like leftover fish, shrimp tails, clams, seaweed, and we use crushed quahog shell for calcium. (just rinse the salt off)

btw: look at all the people from Marshfield. And my mom says she can't find fresh eggs nearby.

 

[Marshchick]

Yes! Lots of egg folks in Marshfield. Mine haven't started laying yet, but there are a whole lot of folks with eggs around here. Maybe we can find your mom a supplier.


How fine do you crush the quahog shells? I'd like to do that, but not sure how fine to get it, and if it's chunks, do they really get any when pecking it? And how do you crush them? Run them over with your car/truck?

Thanks for the tip about the beak wiping, that was cracking me up watching them!

 

[gmendoza]

my chooks would rebel if I fed em lobster shells.

 

[Kdub86]

Mine love prawn or shrimp heads and shells

 

[kannna]

Quote:
I use the top of a hammer sideways and smash away. It leaves many different sizes. Think grit size and smaller. Something they can pick up and ingest. It's a great stress reliever.