What is the strangest thing your chickens ate? Mine just ate crawfish Monica and aligator tail

[Ponyfeather]

A bolt, like nuts and bolts. She also demanded some dried chicken from my mom once when she had it in her pocket for the dogs. Pancake took it out of her pocked and tried to rip a piece off. I told her just to let her have a small taste, she wanted more but told my mom she didn't need to be a cannibal and could have meal worms. I think she just wanted it because the dogs got it. I think she might think she is a dog sometimes.

 

[Zealo]

My three week old chicks LOVE watermelon and pumpkin
My boyfriends dad was shocked when he saw them pecking a piece to bits. I usually have to break the pumpkin into smaller bits for them, they seem a bit intimidated when I first showed them. They also like box-elders. Sometimes one will fly down in their brooder and his gone in no time. I've also seen them try to eat rots. Last time I brought grit in for them they tried eating a large rot. I ended up having to take it away from them because my RIR kept wanted to eat it even though it was the size of her head.

 

[bamadude]

Today they ate toenail clippings. Yummy!

 

[pickledpenny]

Today they ate toenail clippings. Yummy!

So gross, bit sadly not surprising!

 

[hennible]

So gross, bit sadly not surprising!

Now saving them intentionally as treats would be really gross....

 

[minnehaha]

When I made it the first time the texture was not good (and I ground it three times through fine plate), flavor, not the best. I didn't add any fat and vacuum sealed logs of it and boiled to cook it.
The guy at work made it with (can't find the recipe) somewhere around equal parts I think, deer liver, heart, chicken livers, and salt pork, or pork fat, all the spices, and stuffed it in beef middles. He boiled the liver for ten minutes and then cooled it before grinding. Simmered them until 150 and then smoked them for five hrs. as a after thought. I think the added chicken livers and pork fat made the texture and taste more like real liverwurst. It was really good. He made bread and butter pickled salmon once that was awesome (raw but he said the vinegar cooked it?).
I sometimes fry the deer hearts, but usually I pickle them (cooked first) last year I pickled several deer tongues (left them whole) with the hearts, they were a hit with the guys at a Superbowl party (the women said we were disgusting).

It sounds like making liverwurst is a form of culinary art and your friend is a master at it!!

I'm laughing that the women think the pickled stuff is disgusting.........they could never ever ever be married to my husband that guy will eat ANYTHING!

 

[minnehaha]

This morning I had to rescue my chunky cat (in avatar) whom had all 41 chickens chasing him. I thought to myself, if they catch him there going to tear him from limb to limb like a giant mouse. I picked him up, he was terrified and carried him to the house........with all 41 chickens following and squawking. I imagine they were saying "just put him down and nobody gets hurt"

 

[hennible]

 

[johnderosa1]

Let's face it, chickens will eat just about anything that they can get their beaks on... I draw the line at giving them chicken.... Just doesnt seem right. Anything else is fair game. One of my favorite tricks is to suspend a Japanese beetle lure over their run during the summer. They have a field day with the beetles that are attracted to it. Best part is that there isnt a bag to keep emptying...

 

[growsaposy]

'Loved your quote from Chief Seattle. Just super. My husband who is a Ship Capt (now ret.) often uses Chief Seattle's poem in the wedding service somewhere.