What is the deal with my picky chickens?

[Cargar]

Does anyone else have this problem? They are 22 weeks old and so picky! My chickens do not eat table scraps unless it's meat. One day I'll feed them raw oats and they love it and the next they won't even look at them. Today I tried to feed them snails because in the past they literally fought over them but not a single chicken was interested. All those poor snails died for nothing. I've taken to pouring keifer over everything because they seem to always love that but I can't help feeling I'm doing something wrong. They free range all day and eat leaves, flowers and grass (which is getting pretty thin in my rather dry garden) but are not at all interested in lettuce or greens not matter how fresh they are. I'm cooking oats, quinoa and rice on alternating days but I have to say I long for the chickens I read about that eat whatever you put in front of them. They are so so interested in their chicken scratch and laying feed but I have to keep picking it up because the wild birds eat most of it. Any ideas?

 

[azygous]

Just as when dealing with a stubborn toddler refusing to eat the food you place in front of them, you withhold all treats and only offer the nutritious stuff and wait until they get hungry enough to find it appealing enough to eat. This requires resolve on your part and the belief they will not starve if deprived of their favorite food.

 

[JaeG]

My birds still won't eat vegetables that come from the supermarket, but home grown stuff they are all over. Must be tastier. Mine would never eat fruit when they were young but do enjoy it now. I've read about how much chickens love bread. Try telling my lot!

You could try sprouting some wheat if you did want to give them more access to greens. You might have to experiment at what stage they like it. Mine like it when the root has just sprouted, no green shoot. Any further along and they won't touch it.

 

[Folly's place]

Have their layer or all flock feed available all the time in the coop, and let them free range, and severely limit all that other stuff! You are not improving their diet!!!
Are they all laying eggs? If not, an all-flock diet would be better anyway.
You are having fun cooking for your birds, but just relax and offer very small amounts of goodies, and have them concentrate on their actual balanced diet.
Mary

 

[Mtnboomer]

New foods require curiosity to try for the first time. Once they discover its good they may destroy it. It may take several feedings before they decide to eat it.

The toddler reference is perfect. Even if they like it one day, they may not the next. Then the destroy it again on the 3rd try.

My birds have learned that the sound of our dining room window opening means table scraps and they come running.

The hungrier they are the more likely to try new things. I would introduce new things in the morning before feedings.

 

[Cargar]

Have their layer or all flock feed available all the time in the coop, and let them free range, and severely limit all that other stuff! You are not improving their diet!!!
Are they all laying eggs? If not, an all-flock diet would be better anyway.
You are having fun cooking for your birds, but just relax and offer very small amounts of goodies, and have them concentrate on their actual balanced diet.
Mary

I think they are too young still? Boshvelds generally start laying around 25 weeks from what I've been told. I worry they aren't getting enough to eat but I reckon they would eat their feed if they were hungry enough so I suppose they are getting enough from the garden.

 

[Cargar]

Have their layer or all flock feed available all the time in the coop, and let them free range, and severely limit all that other stuff! You are not improving their diet!!!
Are they all laying eggs? If not, an all-flock diet would be better anyway.
You are having fun cooking for your birds, but just relax and offer very small amounts of goodies, and have them concentrate on their actual balanced diet.
Mary

I'll need to do something about that as their coop is just open to the garden and as it's a converted dog house (elevated with a ramp and fitted with perches and nesting boxes) not a lot of room to feed them inside it. Plus I'd like to avoid wild birds going inside it during the day not to mention rats and mice.

 

[Cargar]

New foods require curiosity to try for the first time. Once they discover its good they may destroy it. It may take several feedings before they decide to eat it.

The toddler reference is perfect. Even if they like it one day, they may not the next. Then the destroy it again on the 3rd try.

My birds have learned that the sound of our dining room window opening means table scraps and they come running.

The hungrier they are the more likely to try new things. I would introduce new things in the morning before feedings.

I definitely thought of toddlers. They even act like toddlers, once they see one chicken eating something they leave whatever they were eating and run over to see if that chicken has something better! I guess, like a new mom, I should just figure they'll eat when they are hungry.

 

[Cargar]

My birds still won't eat vegetables that come from the supermarket, but home grown stuff they are all over. Must be tastier. Mine would never eat fruit when they were young but do enjoy it now. I've read about how much chickens love bread. Try telling my lot!

You could try sprouting some wheat if you did want to give them more access to greens. You might have to experiment at what stage they like it. Mine like it when the root has just sprouted, no green shoot. Any further along and they won't touch it.

I was thinking to start a microgreen garden. Hopefully it would get going before they ate it all up. It took weeks for them to pay any attention to the tomato plants but strangely they love the leaves of the cannabis plants we are growing for fun. (Just became legal here in SA)

 

[Cargar]

I was thinking to start a microgreen garden. Hopefully it would get going before they ate it all up. It took weeks for them to pay any attention to the tomato plants but strangely they love the leaves of the cannabis plants we are growing for fun. (Just became legal here in SA)