Topic of the Week - Feeding Treats

[rosemarythyme]

Whole BOSS are absolutely fine for them, the grit in their gizzards will break down the shells for them. Chickens are always suspicious of new things so if your flock doesn't like them unshelled, it might take them some time to accept that these are the same tasty treats as the shelled ones.

 

[dunnmom]

Hang the code! They're more like guidelines anyway. Sorry, I just couldn't resist trying for a funny.

 

[2MooreChicks]

I give mine live mealworms. I also have a bearded dragon that loves them so I raise them in a Tupperware container underneath his tank. During the winter I throw a handful of scratch into their coop in the evening, and the rest of the year they get weeds, strawberries, and pretty much anything else from the garden except tomatoes and onions. I've heard they are toxic to chickens but after reading through this thread I don't know what to believe anymore. But I don't really consider these treats, just a varied diet rather than layer feed day in day out. I know they say modern feed is formulated with the exact balance of nutrients for chicken health and egg production and if you add foods-even super healthy ones-into their diet you're disrupting that balance, but I can't shake the feeling that that's a load of propaganda designed to sell more feed and make people fearful of giving their chickens actual food.

 

[Red Door Coop]

Brucifer I wasn't shelling BOSS for my chickens either, waaay too much crazy work. They will figure it out or their coop will be a wonderful sunflower garden

 

[Red Door Coop]

Okay folks: wondering what this "Ovation means" and when do you give an Ovation Canadian eh? - Red Door Coop

 

[casportpony]

Okay folks: wondering what this "Ovation means" and when do you give an Ovation Canadian eh? - Red Door Coop

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/699980/announcing-the-new-byc-reputation-system-ovations

 

[brucifer]

Brucifer I wasn't shelling BOSS for my chickens either, waaay too much crazy work. They will figure it out or their coop will be a wonderful sunflower garden

Garden-sprouted BOSS is probably good for them as well. However, nothing with or without food value stands a chance with my orps. We had strong winds yesterday, and a few styrofoam peanuts blew into my yard. Before I had a chance to collect them all, the orps discovered what I was doing and started running down the peanuts and eating them. When I see them do things like that, I can't say that they always know what's right for them to eat. SMH

 

[chickengr]

So, if I keep giving them the BOSS then they would get used to them and eat them? I'll give it a try! Thank you!

you can sprout them as well and they will learn to eat them. when they see the sprouts they somehow understand it is food. it worked for me.

 

[chickengr]

Garden-sprouted BOSS is probably good for them as well. However, nothing with or without food value stands a chance with my orps. We had strong winds yesterday, and a few styrofoam peanuts blew into my yard. Before I had a chance to collect them all, the orps discovered what I was doing and started running down the peanuts and eating them. When I see them do things like that, I can't say that they always know what's right for them to eat. SMH

some people give a piece of styrofoam to the chickens from time to time. I asked why and the only thing they say is that it is good for them but they don't know why.

a wind got a piece of styrofoam to my chickens run and they gobbled it. the next day I saw styrofoam balls in their poop, undigested of course. but the interesting thing is that my chickens had yellow diarrhea before eating styrofoam and their poop turned to normal after. I wonder if styrofoam helps them to expel internal parasites. any idea?

 

[gregorycool1]

I have 16 laying hens doing the same.