Watermelon..........

[Miltonchix]

I read on here not too long back that chickens like watermelon. That was an UNDERSTATEMENT!!
I took a cold quarter out a few minutes ago. They acted like they hadn't been fed in weeks. It was hilarious watching them poke their beaks in to their eyeballs and coming up with a mouth FULL. It was time to let them out for the evening so I left the gate open. Normally they beat me to the corner of the coop chasing grasshoppers. Not today. It was kind of hard to tell, they had their mouths full, but I think I heard one tell me "thats ok, we'll stay here today"

 

[Chirpy]

That would have been great to see. Glad they loved it! Did you tell them not to talk with their mouth full?

 

[chicknhawaii]

Watermelon for chickens seems to be like catnip for cats.

Chick-Chick is in total love with it!

 

[pattee]

I totally agree I started about when my chicks were 5 weeks old...
I couldn't get them away from it~ Talk about love

 

[MissPrissy]

I save the rinds and divide them up with all the animals. The sheep won't touch it. The goats eat until their white fur around their mouths is pink. The laying hens eat everything and there is no sign of a rind anywhere. The pig ate his like a hog. LOL

 

[dlhunicorn]

I stumbled on the watermelon thing when we had an incredibly hot summer...the birds , despite my best efforts at providing them with fresh cool water) were refusing to drink it (even as I followed them around my yard and placed it within beaks reach) just sat there panting... I knew the color red encourages them to peck and I was desparate to get fluids in them so I went out and bought a watermelon in the hopes... well it sure did work! I also use it to put in a broody nest (scoop out a bit and put the feed in it ... this ensures against dehydration etc when the bird is refusing to get up and eat and drink sufficiently.

 

[yellowdragon]

I love this trick.

. I don't think my kids could out eat my chickens in a contess.

 

[jjthink]

I wish mine liked it more! They turn up their nose most of the time, maybe because they prefer the cantelope, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and apple! In desperately hot weather that I would consider an emergency I take wedges of watermelon, drizzle with a little Pedialyte, place in freezer for 20 minutes and then serve. That has been effective at times.

JJ

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
And mine WON'T touch apples, grapes, or blackberries, and barely tolerate cantaloupe.

 

[amystours]

I tried mine on watermelon just a few minutes ago. They pecked at it, but weren't crazy about it. DH seemed disappointed, because I had just informed him that, according to folks on here, that y'alls chickens go bonkers for it!!! Maybe mine are just picky....