What do you feed your chickens?

[quack quack cluck]

I attached the three bin compost system to outside end of chicken run, so they have full access to all scraps (kitchen and garden waste) and can pick and choose what they want. With or without a compost system, giving the, access to as much variety as possible is way to keep them healthy and happy, while cutting cost of feed and waste. They are omnivores and will eat just about anything. Trust them to pick out what they need (anything left after a day or two is officially trash or compost, depending on your situation). If you can, plant fast-growing grass/grains they can graze on. And really, if they have enough space, light, circulation and clean water, don't sweat too much what they eat. Oh- manually harvesting many dozens of Japanese beetles into a few inches of water in a bucket... they LOVE the beetles (pests gone, protein-rich eggs on the way).

 

[mominator60]

I tend to not give my chickens treats. I don't really know why, but I've never felt the need. My dogs don't get them either.

The only thing I have around treatwise specifically for the chickens is a bag of mealworms. I use this mostly for calming my rooster when he's mad at me and for bribing escapees back into the pen when they accidentally find themselves on the wrong side of the poultry netting.

Occasionally when it's very hot, I will cut fruit into tiny pieces and freeze it and give them that.

I guess my mentality is I'd rather they find their own treats while foraging and I just provide the best complete feed I can. I do ferment it and they certainly love it.

 

[mominator60]

Wow DobieLover!!! What self control! Wish I had it. I spend a fortune on treats for my cats, dogs, fish, turtle & chickens! I was buying my chickens Spring Mix until the storms & flooding provided an excuse for our local farmers to jack up the prices here in upstate NY too. I keep forgetting to ask the produce manager. When my kids had rabbits I would get carrot greens & all kinds of stuff for free at the grocery store. Green beans? Kale? I can grow those. My family love strawberries so that's out. I buy mealworms for them. I believe it makes a difference in the quality of the eggs. I give them scratch corn all the time now. After next winter I will cut it back a bit in the summer because they will get fat. It's good to fatten them up for the winter & keep them warm during the winter. I don't know if that is "the way it's done"... I'm still new at this-it just makes sense. I have a list on my fridge of things that they absolutely should not have & I don't trust them to make that choice. Things like onions & garlic & grapes...similar to what dogs can't eat. When we got chickens I bought 3 different books-LOL. I'm a bookworm myself!

 

[DobieLover]

Wow DobieLover!!! What self control! Wish I had it. I spend a fortune on treats for my cats, dogs, fish, turtle & chickens! I was buying my chickens Spring Mix until the storms & flooding provided an excuse for our local farmers to jack up the prices here in upstate NY too. I keep forgetting to ask the produce manager. When my kids had rabbits I would get carrot greens & all kinds of stuff for free at the grocery store. Green beans? Kale? I can grow those. My family love strawberries so that's out. I buy mealworms for them. I believe it makes a difference in the quality of the eggs. I give them scratch corn all the time now. After next winter I will cut it back a bit in the summer because they will get fat. It's good to fatten them up for the winter & keep them warm during the winter. I don't know if that is "the way it's done"... I'm still new at this-it just makes sense. I have a list on my fridge of things that they absolutely should not have & I don't trust them to make that choice. Things like onions & garlic & grapes...similar to what dogs can't eat. When we got chickens I bought 3 different books-LOL. I'm a bookworm myself!

Chickens can eat grapes. Just keep it in moderation.
Fat chickens are not healthy. It can actually lead to fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome. Chickens should most definitely go to roost with a full crop to keep them warm at night though. The full crop should be a complete feed though. Their feathers keep them warm, not a fat layer. Fat layers help mammals keep warm.
When I come out to feed the chickens their afternoon mash, they still come a running like I'm carrying a pot full of live meal worms. You don't have to feed them expensive treats for them to think it's a treat.
I've also tossed chick feed crumble in their pen and run during winter and they love digging around in the snow for it.

 

[mominator60]

I forgot to mention the healthy chicken layer crumble that I feed them daily-sorry!! Nobody should live on treats-too bad tho!! I could live on brownies & cupcakes if it was possible!! Lol

 

[SillyMissLily]

I love all the input here, very fun to read. I have to say my birds do not seem to care for strawberries - like not at all. I can't figure that one out. Do they learn from each other their treat preferences? Also, raw carrot is mildly picked at, but shredded or cooked they seem to like. And green beans? If raw they look at them "like what am I supposed to do with that??" Then proceed to walk and poop on them.

Now yogurt, of course good for hens, is just plain fun to feed! They LOVE it and like a previous post said, it will go flying! And I like the sounds they make when eating sloppy foods. (Yeah, I'm weird.)