JoeInPA
Songster
Hi everyone,
I have been trying to narrow down some good treats I can feed to my two older birds (the younger ones are still a little too young for me to be comfortable giving treats) to help them develop some trust in me. I've tried several things so far and while they don't seems to be picky, they don't seem exactly enthusiastic about anything either.
Within their run environment, they enjoy picking at grass and eating bugs. The rooster chases flies and mosquitoes and eats them out of the air! The hen prefers to pull bugs from the ground, she gets earthworms, crickets and other bugs. I found a giant grasshopper on the roof of my car one day so I got a piece of duct tape and caught the grasshopper on it, and fed it to the rooster (the grasshopper, not the tape, lol). He ran around with it in his mouth while the hen chased him for a chance to eat it.
So far of the snacks I've given them, bread is their favorite. American cheese is a close second. They also like rolled oats.They will eat scrambled egg, but they won't lick the plate clean. Inspired by the hen catching earthworms, I went to the gas station and bought some bait worms. The chickens were completely uninterested in them.
They refused to touch quinoa.
They didn't like dry dog food.
They weren't fans of carrots.
I cut up a hot dog and they had one taste and didn't like it.
What are some easy "all birds like this" type treats? And conversely, what are some that they are unlikely to eat? My uncle used to have chickens and said his birds loved any salmon scraps.
Also I've been trying these treats out over the course of a week or two, and in very small portions, so as not to interrupt their regular diet of chick feed.
I have been trying to narrow down some good treats I can feed to my two older birds (the younger ones are still a little too young for me to be comfortable giving treats) to help them develop some trust in me. I've tried several things so far and while they don't seems to be picky, they don't seem exactly enthusiastic about anything either.
Within their run environment, they enjoy picking at grass and eating bugs. The rooster chases flies and mosquitoes and eats them out of the air! The hen prefers to pull bugs from the ground, she gets earthworms, crickets and other bugs. I found a giant grasshopper on the roof of my car one day so I got a piece of duct tape and caught the grasshopper on it, and fed it to the rooster (the grasshopper, not the tape, lol). He ran around with it in his mouth while the hen chased him for a chance to eat it.
So far of the snacks I've given them, bread is their favorite. American cheese is a close second. They also like rolled oats.They will eat scrambled egg, but they won't lick the plate clean. Inspired by the hen catching earthworms, I went to the gas station and bought some bait worms. The chickens were completely uninterested in them.
They refused to touch quinoa.
They didn't like dry dog food.
They weren't fans of carrots.
I cut up a hot dog and they had one taste and didn't like it.
What are some easy "all birds like this" type treats? And conversely, what are some that they are unlikely to eat? My uncle used to have chickens and said his birds loved any salmon scraps.
Also I've been trying these treats out over the course of a week or two, and in very small portions, so as not to interrupt their regular diet of chick feed.