So I have 4 birds we got 5 weeks ago from a local small farm. To the best of my knoweldge, they are between 12 weeks and 8 months. Except for bread adn bread products, they turn their nose at most scraps I am putting in there- apples and grapes and pumpkins and broccolli.... wont touch them. I even put a cabbage in there and some kale and they did not touch it Is there a way to train them? Give them time or are they hopless??? Want to give them snacks and leftovers and such are best for me (rather than mealworms)
Chickens don't like change and they don't like new things. You have to leave the treats with them for awhile until someone accidently tries one. Then it'll be a free-for-all. Speaking of stupid...my adult birds abandoned their scratch this afternoon to walk an acre away to eat the juveniles scratch. Same scratch, just in a different location.
Here's what I do: I put all my kitchen scraps in the 'compost' bucket. When I go out each day and dump it into the 'compost' pile, the chickens go nuts eating whatever comes out. Some times its stale bread products, sometimes overripe fruit, sometimes just leftovers from kids' plates that the dogs didn't want. But its all in ther together and with enough competition, they'll eat first, and wonder what I am feeding them later. Yes, its true that my 'compost' pile is really just a 50-50 mix of old grass clippings or staw and chicken poo since the rest is heartily devoured... But its composting all the same.
Broccoli for chickens? I tried that once, they hated it. Chickens can be very picky, and usually the flock will ony eat what the head-hen eats. Get the flock leader eating them, and then they all will. Mine would KILL for corn, watermelon and blueberries. Take the head-hen out and feed her only scraps away from the others for a period of time, until she starts to eat them and loves them. She'll like SOMETHING. Then put her back in the flock and she'll start eating the treats, and the others should pick it up. Make sure there's enough for everyone. You could also try putting them in the feeder.
I find introducing the same item over and over works. They hated yogurt as juvies, but once they were full size devoured it. Hated pumpkin seeds, but a few weeks later went bonkers....see the pattern! LOL Good luck and have fun!
