Why won’t my chickens eat fruits or veggies?!?

[Jesse Lee Turner]

My chickens refuse to eat fruits or veggies. Am I doing something wrong because no matter what I leave out they do not want it, only the crumbles and occasional dried larva. They will pick at the plant leaves in the garden though.

Depends what you are giving them. My tiny flock resists. Every time a site says give em squash or sweet potato? They resist.

truth is chickens are real careful. They know what's good for them away from the hand of man.

TRUTH: many vegetables can interfere with their minerals and give them deficiency. Spinach is one such example, high in everything bad for them (oxalates and phytates) it will kill off their calcium and magnesium real quick. Bok choy or kale, Kos lettuce, far better. Grapes? Poison to chickens. Apple is better and can also bind up excess minerals gently and convey them out of the chicken.

Good Veggies:

• Zucchini (mild, easy to digest)
• Cucumber (water-rich, low oxalate)
• Carrots (sweet and crunchy, low oxalate)
• Pumpkin & Squash (great for digestion, rich in beta-carotene)
• Peas (fresh or thawed, protein-packed)
• Kale (watch serving size — moderate oxalate but high nutrient)
• Romaine Lettuce / Cos lettuce (gentle on gut, not iceberg)

Good Fruits:

• Blueberries (antioxidants, low oxalate)
• Apples (cut up, no seeds)
• Pears (same deal, sweet)
• Melons (cantaloupe, watermelon rind)

And NO. Chickens ALWAYS know what's good for them. It is ancient information written into them. Trust what they tell you. Research, adjust, that makes for happier chickens. Never force feed.

 

[kattabelly]

I would expect it to. They learn a lot from each other, like kids. When the less adventurous ones see that the adventurous ones didn't suffer from eating whatever an hour ago or yesterday or whenever it was on offer, most will take the plunge, and not look back. They'll still retain individual preferences though, again like us.

Oh yeah, I know they tend to. I've definitely known birds who were convinced they were right about something and completely ignored what everyone else was doing though!

I'm wondering if they'll be less likely to learn from and copy what the newbies are doing while they're obviously smaller and younger. Not something I've had a chance to watch before.