Spoiled chickens?

[Plainheder]

I am a first time chicken owner. I've been reading about all kinds of treats you can give your chickens: cracked corn, peanuts, flax seeds, split peas, sunflower seeds, etc. and I give a handful in the morning to my 6 chickens, throw some on the ground for them to scratch at when they come to the house (from the barn) and meal worms and a few peanuts on top of their food at night before I close the coop (they free-range all day). I have been throwing them extra handfuls because the ground is covered in snow and there isn't much to find. They have access to a bowl of chicken food all day, which they barely touch. Now they are not eating their chicken feed (or very little of it) anymore and follow me around looking for treats. It is winter now and I am worried they are not eating enough. Have I spoiled them? Will they go back to eating their chicken feed? Suggestions welcome!

 

[silverhair67]

and welcome, back off feeding them treats for a bit, they should relearn where to go

 

[Kiki]

I am a first time chicken owner. I've been reading about all kinds of treats you can give your chickens: cracked corn, peanuts, flax seeds, split peas, sunflower seeds, etc. and I give a handful in the morning to my 6 chickens, throw some on the ground for them to scratch at when they come to the house (from the barn) and meal worms and a few peanuts on top of their food at night before I close the coop (they free-range all day). I have been throwing them extra handfuls because the ground is covered in snow and there isn't much to find. They have access to a bowl of chicken food all day, which they barely touch. Now they are not eating their chicken feed (or very little of it) anymore and follow me around looking for treats. It is winter now and I am worried they are not eating enough. Have I spoiled them? Will they go back to eating their chicken feed? Suggestions welcome!

Welcome!

Totally sounds like you're overfeeding treats.
I highly recommend stopping everything you've mentioned except for the complete balanced food.
I don't call what you're doing spoiling I call it something else... It's not very nice.

If you can continue to feed the way you do your birds are going to die a painful slow death.

 

[silverhair67]

Mine get treats 1 or 2 times a week, there are feeders in the pens 24/7,

 

[NatJ]

It is winter now and I am worried they are not eating enough. Have I spoiled them? Will they go back to eating their chicken feed? Suggestions welcome!

I agree with Kiki that if you stop the other treats, and leave them with only water and their complete chicken food, the chickens should re-adjust their eating habits fairly quickly.

But if you worry about them, or if you just enjoy giving them treats, you can also give them some wet chicken food.

It's just the same food, with water added, but chickens seem to really love it.

That way you can have the fun of giving a "treat," and you can be sure they are eating some food, and you will also know that they are getting the correct balance of nutrients.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Welcome!

Totally sounds like you're overfeeding treats.
I highly recommend stopping everything you've mentioned except for the complete balanced food.
I don't call what you're doing spoiling I call it something else... It's not very nice.

If you can continue to feed the way you do your birds are going to die a painful slow death.

They will ONLY want their treats, now that they've been given them - and if they only eat their treats, they don't get the food they need.
Chickens don't actually benefit from spoiling. They become improperly nourished, obese, and sick when they don't have a balanced diet - and their egg production will become quite slow.
And that's just the short term.
Overfeeding treats is not a good idea.

 

[Plainheder]

Welcome!

Totally sounds like you're overfeeding treats.
I highly recommend stopping everything you've mentioned except for the complete balanced food.
I don't call what you're doing spoiling I call it something else... It's not very nice.

If you can continue to feed the way you do your birds are going to die a painful slow death.

Thanks - had no idea it could be deadly. I'll be stopping immediately!

 

[Plainheder]

I agree with Kiki that if you stop the other treats, and leave them with only water and their complete chicken food, the chickens should re-adjust their eating habits fairly quickly.

But if you worry about them, or if you just enjoy giving them treats, you can also give them some wet chicken food.

It's just the same food, with water added, but chickens seem to really love it.

That way you can have the fun of giving a "treat," and you can be sure they are eating some food, and you will also know that they are getting the correct balance of nutrients.

 

[Plainheder]

Thanks - I read about the wet food and tried it with warm water on a very cold day and they didn't seem to like it. I'm going to stop with the treats. Live and learn!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Chickens sure do love treats, and treats CAN be beneficial, but when overfed, it totally messes up a chicken's system. Not to mention that they lose all interest in their boring normal food!