treat time

[homecatmom]

This morning I put a large handfull of frozen grapes out in the run for a treat. There was plenty for all 4 of the girls. Is it normal for one to pick a grape and all the others to chase to take away the one grape when there are 15 or more sitting there? They did the same thing with the worms I gave them.

I don't want them to hurt each other to get one thing when there is plenty for all of them.

 

[wegotchickens]

I think it's normal. Mine play 'keep away' all the time. I can be holding out a fistful of noodles, but the ones someone is already trying to slurp down are just that much better looking....

 

[robin416]

Yep, if you listen closely you can hear the one with the prize making a loud peeping sound and running like crazy. No one ever seems to get hurt during this routine but you will see the best of the best just snatching the prize from the running bird as it goes by. Too funny.

But a warning about using whole grapes, I've read some folks have had them swallow a grape whole and cause an impaction. Best to chop them up a bit.

 

[peeps7]

yeah it's very normal.

This morning I went out and gave my chickens a cantolope and some bread. They play keep away when there is about a loaf of torn up bread on the ground.

One of my EE hens is the funniest, she will get a mouthful and then run away or try and get everybody else's bread.

 

[chicks rule]

I give noodles to my chickens and they take them outta the cats mouths, course they also share the cat food I put out for the cats, they all just eat right along side each other.

 

[Davaroo]

Absolutely normal. Chickens are greedy, self-centered buggers, especially the hens. When one has something, the others will do their darndest to get it from them. This is how egg eating gets started in a flock, by the way. Hens watch each other like hawks (pardon the pun) and horn in on anything that looks like a free meal.

It doesn't matter that there are other goodies lying there, either - now you are inferring logic, for which chickens are not well known.

But, and this is no small matter - this is where chickens become entertaining. Take a lawn chair, a piece cheap bologna and a cool drink of your choice and go out to the chicken pen. Sit in the chair and peel off small, wormlike strips of bologna. Toss these to the birds and watch the pandemonium. You thought grapes were fun? Boy howdy, wait'll you try the lunchmeat.

Someone will always mention the salt and nitrates in the bologna at this moment, throwing a wet blanket on the whole party. While my chickens never fared any worse for a few bologna strips, do as your conscience dictates.

There is one caveat in all this fun, though. Treats should be fed sparingly, so as not to disturb the nutrition they receive from the rations you feed them. They are sensitive to disturbances in their feeding routine and you should be mindful of that.

 

[homecatmom]

Quote:
Point taken on the whole grapes! They will be quartered in the future. Thanks.

 

[homecatmom]

Quote:
I give small treats and not all the time. They eat their feed. The grapes serve a dual purpose. 1 it's a nice treat, 2 it's frozen and we are in such a dang hot spell they are in need of cooling down in the afternoon.

 

[robin416]

I used to do the same thing, toss out grapes when I was in need of some entertainment. Then suprise! someone posted that they had been giving whole grapes as a treat and a bird managed to swallow one whole. Oops, end of tossing out the grapes without quartering.

 

[Davaroo]

I'm tellin' ya, bologna strips are the ticket.