Things That Chicken Eat That Surprised You

[instar8]

I love tilling in the spring with my little flock following me...makes me feel like a character from "Farmers of Forty Centuries". I live on a sandhill surrounded by swamp and ponds, so i turn over huge toads and salamanders, vole nests, the odd snake...i had a blue Orp that i swear could unhinge her beak like a snake, she'd pick up something bigger than her head and swallow it...they have no problem eating leftover chicken either.

Used to joke that i hoped i died shoveling compost...i just hope the chooks are shut up if i do! I want to be cremated, not chicken-ated!!

Great thread!!

lynn

 

[americanamama]

Surprised no. lol. They will eat anything that interests them. Annoyed yes. I have a 25x25 hen house.The chickens have 25x12 of the house, the cats have the remaining to have there cat food bowls on a counter top and catch mice. The chickens think the cat food is for them as treats. I feed 18 pounds of cat food a week. Little boogers.

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

lol I love this post. When my birds were chicks I would throw an cricket in there brooder... One would get it and would NOT eat it until it was chased around and around the poor bug got passed around so much it looked like chicken basket ball.

 

[SteveBaz]

N.C chicken Owner :

lol I love this post. When my birds were chicks I would throw an cricket in there brooder... One would get it and would NOT eat it until it was chased around and around the poor bug got passed around so much it looked like chicken basket ball.

I snorted that was

Steve​

 

[billfields]

Y'know what's interesting? Read this thread then suggest you feed your chickens potato peels....someone is sure to pop up to tell you that chickens absolutely, positively can never ever eat potato peels lest they drop dead in seconds! A surer bet than how quickly you will get corrected for saying your Ameraucanas came from a hatchery!

( I do, in fact, feed my hatchery Ameraucanas potato peelings!!)

Earlier Someone said something about dinosaurs...every time I see mine do that head down, neck stretched mad run for a rotten tomato or hunk of green hot dog I'm reminded of the T Rex chasing the jeep in the original Jurassic Park movie. When I heard the recovered T Rex DNA closest matched that of chickens it came as no surprise at all. Wonder if they could eat potato peels......

 

[fiddlebanshee]

diamond earrings from her ears

Great thread!! My 1 week olds are absolutely fascinated by my (small) diamond ring. They will peck at it all the time. It makes grabbing them for inspection a lot easier. They come to my hand in stead of running away.

I am gradually introducing stuff to their diet. So far stink bugs are a little too intimidating yet, but here's to hoping they will develop a taste for them. They loved the alfafa sprouts that I put out, but only after I had cut them in smaller pieces. They will chase each other around for them. I figure it's a great additional protein.

The boiled egg with cooked oats was a big no. They barely touched it. I will try again with the two separate and the oat uncooked.

Edited to note that as of this afternoon they officially have recognized stinkbugs as food. When I checked on them they were chasing one chick around who had caught a stinkbug and wouldn't let go. Later it was torn to pieces and devoured. So far it looks like they rival the meal worms in popularity.​

 

[MyBlackHen]

Quote:
Ha! I get a different visual. When I see my girls running like that, it reminds me of some old woman running, holding up her dress with her bloomers showing (you know, the old-fashioned kind?)! It cracks me up every time.

I do get the dinosaur thing when I see the lightning-quick pecking into whatever they've decided is food.

 

[cmcgowen]

Quote:
Now thats justice.

 

[cmcgowen]

My chickens love watermellon. They can devour one within a day. They also love tomatos.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Turkey. Surprised the devil outta me to see them clean the Thanksgiving carcass.