Veggie Snubbing

[Creteloc]

My two hens (a RIR and an EE) are almost 6 months old. I've tried since they were babies to give them yummy veggies for snacks and they've never wanted any part of it. I bought one of those 'fun' lettuce hanger jobbies and put a head of lettuce in it to hang from their run. I got a look of utter disgust and was squawked at until I took it down a hour or so later. I tried cabbage with similar results. Aren't the veggies good for them? Oh, ditto goes for yogurt, scrambled eggs, table scraps, etc. They won't even try it.

I'm fairly certain I should be happy my girls won't eat treats, but for some odd reason I want to be able to give them yummies besides scratch once in a while. Do they have to grow into veggies?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You don't mention a type of chicken feed. Scratch isn't chicken feed.
I hope scratch isn't the only thing they are eating.

 

[Creteloc]

That probably would’ve been helpful. Their regular food is the Dumor Grower feed.

 

[blackdog043]

They won't eat/like everything you try giving them, but they should have liked one of those choices. Sometimes it takes a little time for them, to try new things also. With only 2 chickens, it might take longer for one of them to try something different. Try scrambled eggs or yogurt again and just leave it out there for a few hours.

 

[igorsMistress]

Have you tried some watermelon, berries, broccoli? One of my red girls doesn't like raisins, no one likes yogurt. Meal worms or live crickets? Those are hits, especially when I add oats, cooked or dry makes no difference.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Is the Dumor 20% starter/grower or 15% finisher?

The starter/grower is intended to be the sole ration for chicks
Grower finisher is formulated to be the sole ration for chickens from 10-18 weeks or point of lay.

I think what we're forgetting in this conversation is that the chickens don't NEED to eat anything other than what is in the bag of grower feed.
Would it be nice if chickens could forage on pristine pasture and get good green forbs, bugs and seeds added to their diet? Yes, that would be wonderful.
But most chicken feeds are formulated based on over 100 years of exhaustive nutritional research.
Getting chickens to eat anything else, including scratch, has the potential to degrade the optimal nutrition that is in a bag of fresh feed.
I never feed chicks anything other than starter/grower till they are out foraging for themselves.

As was said, as creatures of habit, chickens are very reluctant to try new foods.

 

[Creteloc]

It's the finisher, because I have only 1 layer. The other six chickens aren't laying yet. When they are all laying I'll move them to layer feed. For now, there is supplemental oyster shell for the one layer I have.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Ideal approach.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is the Dumor 20% starter/grower or 15% finisher?

The starter/grower is intended to be the sole ration for chicks
Grower finisher is formulated to be the sole ration for chickens from 10-18 weeks or point of lay.

I think what we're forgetting in this conversation is that the chickens don't NEED to eat anything other than what is in the bag of grower feed.
Would it be nice if chickens could forage on pristine pasture and get good green forbs, bugs and seeds added to their diet? Yes, that would be wonderful.
But most chicken feeds are formulated based on over 100 years of exhaustive nutritional research.
Getting chickens to eat anything else, including scratch, has the potential to degrade the optimal nutrition that is in a bag of fresh feed.
I never feed chicks anything other than starter/grower till they are out foraging for themselves.

As was said, as creatures of habit, chickens are very reluctant to try new foods.

 

[K813ZRA]

My chickens took a long time to warm up to table scraps and they are still very, very picky. But damn, if you drop one of their eggs in the morning they will sure scarf that up...animals. Its funny because there are a lot of things my chickens won't eat, even things from the garden but they will eat my garden itself.

Now ducks are garbage disposals!

Anyway, they will eat what they want when they are ready. If then never like the scraps, compost them.