Which bit of seed do your chickens find the tastiest???

[aggiemae]

Hulled sunflower seeds in winter, but in summer it's pretty much any seedy veggie from the garden. They love watermelon-seeds pulp and even the rinds- sometimes I miss seeing a squash or cucumber until it's beyond the prime eating stage they go nuts for them.

 

[Kazfam]

Our girls LOVE wild grass seed (Indian Grass, for example) which grows wild in the Carolinas. We pick the stem with the seed head attached and toss them into the run...oh my!
They also LOVE gum tree leaves.

We forage for them because they were naughty and ventured off too far (even though we have plenty of space - the grass is greener, so to speak).

We grew sunflowers and gave them those seeds right before they started laying. They really enjoyed those too.

We added 4 more birds last week...they would NOT eat any of the foraged treats at first but are now realizing the yumminess and have joined in.

Chickens are cool.

 

[EllaM]

Gum tree leaves! Certainly haven't heard of that before!
And it seems everyone's chickens love those sunflower seeds!

 

[Kazfam]

Yes, I know it is odd. They will strip a branch clean of its leaves. Goats like them to.
The sap of the gum tree is an old time chewing gum...maybe the leaves are kind of sweet.

I will tell you the original 8 girls look so healthy and I really believe the foraged foods add lots of natural nutrition. The 4 new girls do not look nearly as healthy and they are the same age and from the same group the original 8 were from. Same feed was given but not the natural supplements. The 4 new chickens are quickly learning that the foraged foods are yummy.

Good stuff.