To cut or not to cut produce

[JanieMarie]

I've given mine whole grapes before. Never had a problem.

 

[dancingbear]

I don't cut up grapes, or anything else small. They eat whole grapes with no trouble at all. I cut big stuff in chunks just so I can spread it around, and everybody gets a chance to get some. When I give them a new item, like cucumbers at the beginning of cuke season, I cut them open, quartered longways, so whichever way they land, they can find the inside easily. Otherwise, they peck the skin a couple of times and walk away. But after a few days, they know what a yummy thing a cucumber is, then I don't cut them up anymore. They peck away at them until they get past the skin. They don't like orange rind, so oranges that are going bad, I cut off the bad part, and quarter the rest, so they can get right at the pulp. They love 'em. I know some say not to feed them citrus, but mine have never had any problem from it.

There are a few things mine won't eat raw, like squash, green beans, pumpkin, though they will eat the seeds of squash and pumpkin. I started keeping a big enamel pot in the kitchen for scrapes during squash season, my excess and overgrown summer squash got cut in big hunks and tossed in there. Then before I went to bed I'd stick it in the oven and turn it up to 450F. Let it heat while I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed, then turned it off before I turned in. The oven stayed hot long enough to partly cook it, and it was cold when I got up, and I'd toss it out to the birds, and some, to the pigs, in the morning. The pigs wouldn't eat it raw, either. They love it, cooked.

 

[twentynine]

I don't cut anything up. Over the fence and it disappears.

Chickens are no helpless, what do you think wild undomesticated chickens in the far reaches of asia do? Wait on some one to cut their grapes up!

 

[Megs]

i have done both (whole and chopped) dosent seem to make any difference to them

i do like to chop/snap produce/leftovers into peices so they can all get some without stealing (they usually try to run and hide when they get something good)

 

[awtandrocks]

I gave mine raw shredded carrots that where bought that way and they wouldn't touch them. However they devoured the baked potato I gave them.

 

[Akane]

I just toss everything out there. First come first serve. The only thing left so far were whole raw sweet potatos. They were still sitting out there under a tree weeks later. Not that they don't have tons of easier to eat things about. Mine aren't in a run getting bored so they don't need to peck at something they decide is difficult to eat when there's endless plant matter and several 100' of rasberry bushes.

 

[Country Heart]

I like to cut food up into little chicken size bits. It's probably more because I enjoy "preparing" their food, not that they necessarily need it presented that way. I have a treat tray that I use and try to include a couple of food options: pasta and cheese, bread and cucumber, watermelon and toast, etc. The list is endless - they eat what we eat, or should I say what we decide not to eat. No edible food goes to waste around here.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Mine won't eat raw potato or sweet potato either, but they love cooked ones. Depending on how much I have-like when the garden's going great guns and there's too much squash, and I hate to waste anything-that when I'll toss it in the big pot, & stick it in the oven like I posted above. Or sometimes, if I've had the crock pot out, and I'm done with it, I'll toss potato trimmings and whatever in there, (they usually only get the peels, we eat the rest, same with sweet potatoes) and turn it on high for a few hours. They won't eat raw onions, but they like cooked ones. Then I have a pot full of free food for the chickens or the pigs. But that's the only time I'd cook for chickens, just to keep from wasting food. I wouldn't make a habit of it!

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I slice tomatoes and grapes in half. Everything else I just throw out there. Mine won't touch a carrot no matter what you do to it. You can shred it, slice it, dice it, cook it, don't cook it, it don't matter when the mayhem is over I promise any carrot that was in the bowl will still be right there on the ground and they will be looking at me as to say, "Get that garbage out of our home will ya?"

 

[redsullivan]

I read the post the other day about how they'd like a pumpkin - so got one and cut it in half. Boy, did they have fun with that! All that's left now is a very thin skin - all the seeds adn pulp is gone - they had a blast and it was so fun to watch them!