Things That Chicken Eat That Surprised You

[RainbowState]

There was the time I saw one of my chickens trying to eat a dead rat but it was too big to get down her throat, and it stank! I had to chase the chicken all around the yard trying to get the dead rat away which I finally did. The chicken stank like the dead rat! My girls will also clean out a coconut cut in half inside the shell. The most disturbing was some white styrofoam insulation that had fallen down from a storage wrack. You would have thought it was popcorn, the way they were gobbling it up. They have also tried eating a rubber latex glove or anything made of silicon thats got a rubbery texture, like a slug. It's super cool though to see them kill and eat an 8" long centipede. They slurp it down like a long piece of spaghetti.

 

[Roger]

I saw a few posts where people say their chickens don't eat carrots, and then another person said they eat carrots that she grates and feeds raw. I also do that, and the birds like to eat the carrots all grated up. A boy once told me he observed that chickens only kill poisonous snakes. I guess that isn't fully true as I read the posts, but maybe a lot of chickens do leave beneficial snakes alone as you mention your birds have shown no interest.

 

[wbruder17]

2 Lady Amherst chicks that were killed by my adult Red Golden pheasant. The chickens picked them clean and all I fouund were wing feathers still connected at the shoulder and the feet. Ew! Gross!

However...the chickens LOVED it and were still trying to peck the bones clean as I was removiing the carcass. Very diisturbing. Bbut, I've heard of people scraping fresh roadkill off the street and bringing it back for their chickkens, which is even more disgusting and disturbing than my pheasant incident.

 

[Swissmiss989]

I use to think my chickens knew what was best for them...till I cought them eating styrofoam! Chickens are nuts! And in my yard you don't dare pick up the shovel, you will get mobbed!

 

[donrae]

I grew up with the adage "chickens will eat anything that doesn't eat them first", so many of these things are just natural to me. I have to second the styrafoam, though. What IS it about that stuff? Folks here say corn is like crack for chickens, I always think they haven't seen a flock go after the packaging from a new computer! Thankfully, it doesn't hurt them, but I just don't get it?

 

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

Our Barred Rock will grab giant wasps out of the air as they fly by and swallow them whole. Amazes me that she can catch them, she likes them, and she doesn't seem to get stung.

 

[centurion90]

Geez, i thought i was the only one who had chickens that loves to eat styrofoam. Caught mine trying to gobble some, tried to chase them off, instead i myself got chased off the styrofoam.

Looked like a scene from jurassic park.

 

[TheMainException]

Mine ate the insulation from the cat box that they were housed in for a few weeks, but other than to throw a vole around the hard a bit, they refused to eat that. They won't eat the cat food. They hate green peppers, onions, carrots, and broccoli. They refuse worms and give me the craziest looks.

My chickens do chase my cats around the yard tho. Funniest thing I had ever seen a chicken do. I thought they were getting to be on good terms when the cat got pecked in the face...poor girl...but at least I don't have any problems there with the cats killing the chickens (and my cat, all 7 pounds of her, has caught and killed a full grown rabbit, also probably around 7 pounds).

 

[Corbet]

Maybe my addition to "things chickens eat" won't surprise you but I think it is interesting.

When I had chickens, I also had beds of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that surrounded
the fence outside the chicken yard. I would often let the chickens out if I was there to guard the
prized tomatoes or whatever was producing at the time. They usually just scratched around
in the loose dirt and found a few insects. That was UNTIL.... until they discovered the English
mint. They absolutely loved it and from that day forward, every time they were out, they
headed straight for the English mint. They completely ignored the several other kinds of mint
and other growing things. If I didn't have time to let them out, I often gathered a couple
handfuls and pitched in in the chicken yard. They always devoured it instantly. It seemed to
cause the eggs to be a bit brighter yellow and no, they didn't have a mint flavor.

BTW...I'm brand new here. I don't currently have chickens but plan to get back into the
hobby/lifestyle soon.

Corbet

 

[Dingleberry]

my son's air soft bb pellits have been found in their poo. They love ramin, nothing green though. or carots eather. they know to come running when they hear my back door open and shut. eggo waffles are a great love. I have a polish crested I have to give treats specially to her. she is the lowest on the pecking order and skinny.she doesn't like boss though.