What is with fruit and layers?????

[jrabbit]

Our hens have not changed their laying habits when they get fruit. Of course, they get a high protein chicken scratch, and they free range. We have 4 of laying age and we get an average of 3.43 eggs a day.

I'm new to all of this, but mainly, the girls get all the scraps that our rabbits won't eat! ... we are vegetarian and don't eat much of anything high in sugar. The hens get the apple cores, strawberry tops and peach pits (they strip off the fruit and leave the pit). They also get sandwich crusts, mushy cereal remains, and whatever remains on anybody's plates after dinner. They loved the soy milk from the cereal bowls today and the corn-cobs from last night!

Now, if anyone can help me with the flies, I'd be eternally grateful.

--janis

 

[columbiacritter]

Quote:
Peach and apricot pits contain trace amounts of something that turns into cyanide in your bloodstream. You shouldn't feed your chickens peach pits... but I doubt you were going to, anyway!

Also, do not eat peach pits. [deadpan]

Cherry pits and apple seeds also contain tiny amounts of this chemical (amygdalin) which turns into cyanide. I doubt your chickens will drop dead if they eat a single apple seed or cherry pit, but it's probably best to try and avoid them as much as possible.

Here's an article on Snopes that talks about it: Apple Seeds Contain A Cyanide Compound: True

We have 5 apple trees and countless wild cherry trees. If either apple seeds or cherry pits were truly toxic our birds would have been dead years ago as would all our dogs since they eat the fruit seeds and all too.

Seriously, when the cherries are droppign my birds absolutely pig out until they are just sick of them.

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

As far as I know for the apple seeds/cyanide reaction, there really isn't enough in the seeds or cores to actually poison anyone/anybird, unless one consumes a ridiculous amount of seeds (which may explain how birds/dogs/animals can live happily by apple trees without getting ill). The LD50 for birds is probably way different than that for humans, however, so I think avoiding cyanide precursors in large amounts is probably a good idea overall. Incidentally, I have fed mine apples before and they eat everything - nothing remains behind, and they were not ill.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Quote:
Peach and apricot pits contain trace amounts of something that turns into cyanide in your bloodstream. You shouldn't feed your chickens peach pits... but I doubt you were going to, anyway!

Also, do not eat peach pits. [deadpan]

Cherry pits and apple seeds also contain tiny amounts of this chemical (amygdalin) which turns into cyanide. I doubt your chickens will drop dead if they eat a single apple seed or cherry pit, but it's probably best to try and avoid them as much as possible.

Here's an article on Snopes that talks about it: Apple Seeds Contain A Cyanide Compound: True

We have 5 apple trees and countless wild cherry trees. If either apple seeds or cherry pits were truly toxic our birds would have been dead years ago as would all our dogs since they eat the fruit seeds and all too.

Seriously, when the cherries are droppign my birds absolutely pig out until they are just sick of them.

Me too! I have plum trees, a loquat tree, and apple trees. The girls eat everything. They don't seem to like the blackberries, however.

 

[Far North Queenslander]

Quote:
Try putting the scraps next to a Basil plant that the chooks can't destroy.

BTW, I don't feed fruit as a big part of the diet, just as part of the scraps the birds get in the afternoon. It provides a source of vitamins, anti-oxidants and fibre