Things That Chicken Eat That Surprised You

[chick007]

well at least they are not organizing and planning my devise, at least i hope.

 

[Cindlady]

My girls will eat almost anything from apples to zucchini ! They free range and I have to fence off the garden, the berries, the flowers (most of them) and next year the grapes! I had NO grapes under the 2 ft. mark! They caught a grass snake last month and had a great game of keep-away with it! They eat mice and maggots too. I let them pick bones clean from our meals also. (just make sure you pick up what's left so they don't attract predators!) They will pick at the dog food and try to join us any time we eat anything outside! I've even watched one steel chicken off the grill! (she was on a chair so she was safe) Yes, it can get irritating, but it worth it for the entertainment!

 

[cowchipss]

Today my chickens ate a banana, cottage cheese, squash bisque, and sawdust. The first three were leftovers from the fridge but the last (sawdust) was a byproduct from shortening the roost to accommodate for their new nesting boxes. My friend asked what I put out for them. I looked out on the back patio and said, "Oh, that's sawdust from shortening the roost." He said,"Well, they love it."

 

[chick007]

been to that before, my rottwellier enjoys her sawdust fresh from the saw. she was a whole lot of help when building my new coop for grandpas haireum, as the women in my life call it. it even has a red light, as they tease me.

 

[MyBlackHen]

My chickens love just about everything from the garden - apples, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, and watermelon are their favorites. They love leftover everything - pasta, tunafish, chili, you name it. I love watching them chase moths that are fluttering by. I've never seen them go after bees but I sure would appreciate that. And there is a chipmunk that has been nibbling at my garden all summer long .. after reading all of your stories about catching mice, rats, voles, and more, I wish I could get my chickens to eliminate my chipmunk problem!

My husband put in some raised gardening beds for me this year along our barn, which is close to the fenced-in area surrounding the coop. One of the chickens discovered that if she hung around, DH would throw her worms as he found them! None of the other chickens were interested so she got to hog them all to herself. It was so funny to see her hanging out waiting for a treat!

This doesn't gross me out at all, but boy do I get looks when friends find out that chickens love to eat leftover chicken! We throw the whole carcass in and they pick every last shred of meat off. There are random bones strewn all over the coop area.

Hey, protein is protein and chooks aren't picky.

 

[2OLD2BAChick]

We want to know why they won't eat the mosquitoes and chipmunks that drive us crazy. Maybe they have it too good? Our girls are very spoiled!!!

 

[kimmybow]

Mine eat slugs. They have to wipe their beaks on the grass after to get the slime off

And why don't they eat ants? That would be VERY helpful!

 

[kimmybow]

Quote:
Racoon for dinner = Revenge - lol!

 

[loganchick]

After the raccoon attack I was down to two hens, Frik and Frak, and have rebuilt the flock with two Americanas and some Australorps and RI Reds. I have trapped and killed four raccoons, and the first one I gutted, skinned, and prepared for eating. After brining for a day or so, I chopped up the meat, sauteed with onions and mushrooms and spices and stuffed into puff pastry. Served my Raccoon en croute with a touch of brown sauce. It was delicious==probably because raccoon was chicken fed. But my surviving chickens got the last laugh. Two of the meat pies weren't as pretty as the rest, so i took them out and fed to chickens. Frik and Frak got first bite then all joined in. Revenge is truly a dish served cold.

 

[SteveBaz]

Last night we baked a whole chicken for dinner and When our family is done there was hardly a thing to pick off of it so I decided to set it out for the girls between dinner and the time we lock up the coop was 2 hours ....... They picked it clean, I mean clean. My wife all night was saying those little VULTURES you have. They are Cannibals. They eat there own kind. When I put it down they went completely Nuts. They were sticking there head into the body cavity and coming back out with rings of chicken grease on there neck feathers and squawking and fighting over it. At one point my lead hen was fighting them all off but they were to many for her to guard the carcass by herself.

Steve