Wild bird seed a treat?

[Dray67]

I did not do a search on this topic and im sure that there are lots of opinions but here goes.......................

I have seen lots of wild bird food in the super stores for sale, does anyone ever offer it as a treat?
Dave

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It's great as a treat - it's mostly millet with some BOSS mixed in, usually.

I mix my own feed and millet is a large component of it. But it only has about 11% protein, so it is lower than they need for a feed unless you mix something in with higher protein.

Some folks give BOSS as a treat by itself, saying it's better than cracked corn (scratch) for them.

THEY LOVE millet. Go for it (just not too much)!

 

[TipsyDog]

Just TRY to get my girls away from under the bird feeder in the mornings! It's the first place they run to when they get out to free range. Mine eat some everyday. I always add extra black oil sunflower seeds into my wild bird seed because they don't put enough in. BOSS is the first thing to disappear from the feeder. I let my girls eat what they want and they usually don't over do it at all and move on to find bugs and worms.

 

[Lisa202]

Tipsy dog...

Did you ever have any problems with your chickens getting mites or diseases going near the wild bird feeders? I love to feed the birds and have about 20 feeders (all in one area), but I read that I shouldn't have wild birds near my chickens. I was even advised to take down my feeders. So naturally I am worried about the wild bird droppings and discarded shells that the wild birds leave under the feeders. My chicks are only 1 week old and haven't been out yet, but I don't want to expose them to anything when they eventually do go out.

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
My flock free ranges from sun-up to sun-down and they are around all the wild birds, feral cats, chipmunks, rabbits, mice, etc. I've never had a problem and in 2 years they have never had mites or anything else. I'm not worried about it at all. Let your girls get a few months old before you let them out and good luck with them!

 

[Akane]

My free range birds eating under bird feeders and having wild birds go in their coop never got mites. The first year I had mostly confined chickens I had horrible mites. I think the others had much better opportunities to dust bathe and they covered so much ground that the mites were never concentrated anywhere.

 

[coq au vin]

Quote:
My flock free ranges from sun-up to sun-down and they are around all the wild birds, feral cats, chipmunks, rabbits, mice, etc. I've never had a problem and in 2 years they have never had mites or anything else. I'm not worried about it at all. Let your girls get a few months old before you let them out and good luck with them!

Quote:
It's really quite amazing how durable chickens can be when they are allowed to be chickens, isn't it?

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

My chickens live with wild birds, never had a problem

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh I just thought of something- my feed store sells millet for $16 for 50lb.
And wild bird seed is I THINK more expensive.

 

[grandpa-j]

Can the suet that you place in wild bird feeder cages be a treat for chickens if hung from a rafter so the can peck at it.They are usually 4x5 and slip in little wire baskets