Why not spoil them?

[MRS McKlucky]

I was thinking about how so many people are super strict with how they feed their chickens. Just the pellet, or crumble, or mash, or whatever, rarely giving treats.. George Burns, Bob Hope, and a couple of others I can't think of the names right now, I will use as an example. George smoked constantly, and Bob Hope didn't eat right, yet both lived to be over 100! (My mother was at a banquet and Bob Hope was there, and she told me he didn't eat any of his veggies, lol) Now, if you feed a chicken treats every day in addition to the balanced food, will that cut its life short? Don't chickens deserve treats? Not all of us humans follow a strictly healthy diet. In fact, MOST of us will have desserts and/or treats at least a few times a week. Don't our chickens deserve the same pleasure?

There was a post from someone here just recently who fed her chicken scratch as the main diet, and there was a picture of it. It looked very healthy to me. I am the type who does feed a good balanced diet, but I also give a small amount of scratch and "Hen Treats" every day plus yogurt, different fruits, veggies, parrot seed, that baby food in the pouches mixed in, etc. It comes out to more than 10% of their diet. In fact, it's probably closer to 30%. I wonder what everyone's opinion is on giving your chickens a varied diet, with daily treats included. I also wonder if anyone has had chickens reach an old age with a diet that includes lots of treats.

 

[MRS McKlucky]

We put out in gravity feeders. .. pellets, mixed corn, grit and chick mash for the chicks but obviously the big hens love it too. Every day we share out either a whole brocoli or 500gm of grapes, or half a water melon, mashed potatoes with coli, broc, green beans, pears, apples, kale, spinach etc. They get meal worms and every other week, live white maggots1/4pint for £1.45p. Ratio's are 1 broccoli head broke up for 10 hens. We give it as a treat. But they also love left overs and pasta. We just don't give them meat. Again, this is a daily treat and given in moderation. You don't want fat unhealthy hens.

 

[theuglyduckling]

We put out in gravity feeders. .. pellets, mixed corn, grit and chick mash for the chicks but obviously the big hens love it too. Every day we share out either a whole brocoli or 500gm of grapes, or half a water melon, mashed potatoes with coli, broc, green beans, pears, apples, kale, spinach etc. They get meal worms and every other week, live white maggots1/4pint for £1.45p. Ratio's are 1 broccoli head broke up for 10 hens. We give it as a treat. But they also love left overs and pasta. We just don't give them meat. Again, this is a daily treat and given in moderation. You don't want fat unhealthy hens.

Why dont you feed meat?

 

[Seaecho]

I forgot to mention that. I do feed meat. Canned cat food, tuna, sardines are some of the meats I've given. They really love it!

 

[MRS McKlucky]

Why dont you feed meat?

I haven't got a good reason as such. I think I'm still getting around the misconception that chickens only eat grains and vegs. However, in the wild they'd eat meat like mice etc as caught by a Roo, but most meat bought by humans has been given antibiotics and messed with.
Fruit and veg even though still messed with , it doesn't get pumped with the meds. Just makes me feel good to give them nice things but as for meat (bugs, fresh maggots,meal worms), they won't miss what they've never had. But I'd never try and make them vegetarian. The girls killed a frog about 3 months ago and that was surreal when I saw them running around like a marauding tribe of wild hens!

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

My chicks are only 10 weeks old. They have been spending more and more time running free in my suburban yard. I know they have eaten at least 2 frogs and one snake not to mention tons of bugs. There was a little snake that was about 8"-9". He was very feisty. He was hissing at the chicks. Then one of my better "hunters" came over and pecked at him. He tried to slither away as fast as he could, but she pecked again and then ate him! Poor little guy didn't stand a chance. So, definitely meat eaters!

 

[anvia]

I was a bit hesitant to mention it but the biggest “treat” judging by the chicken olympics & the frenzy of stealing of said treat & legging it off into the hedges that results - my chickens idea of the best treat ever is finding what ever it is that the cats have killed.

Not necessarily a treat by human standards - & most definitely meat!

 

[Morrigan]

I've seen my chickens fighting over a small gopher they've killed. Chickens are definitely omnivores and they do love their meat.

 

[theuglyduckling]

I haven't got a good reason as such. I think I'm still getting around the misconception that chickens only eat grains and vegs. However, in the wild they'd eat meat like mice etc as caught by a Roo, but most meat bought by humans has been given antibiotics and messed with.
Fruit and veg even though still messed with , it doesn't get pumped with the meds. Just makes me feel good to give them nice things but as for meat (bugs, fresh maggots,meal worms), they won't miss what they've never had. But I'd never try and make them vegetarian. The girls killed a frog about 3 months ago and that was surreal when I saw them running around like a marauding tribe of wild hens!

ohh yes i live in puerto rico and the wild chickens eat all sorts of dead animals that they run into. More than birds and rodents just wont be too specific cause i dont want to offend anyone(not you).

 

[Seaecho]

Mrs. McKlucky, when I first got chickens, I also had no idea they ate meat! Took me a while to wrap my head around it, but now they get it regularly--about twice a week. It just seems weird, doesn't it?