4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Steph101]

Such as carrot peelings, asparagus and broccoli stalks, parsnip and butternut squash peelings, etc... I cook all these until soft, and feed them to my chickens in the evening. Barbara has had crop problems a couple of times now; do you think there could be a connection? I also free range them all day too though, but the grass isn't very long. What do you think?

[Ms Tilytinkle]

I am sorry i am not answering your query, except with another question. Please what is crop problems?

 

Ms Tilyhasmuchtolearn

[Steph101]

Such as an 'impacted crop' (where there is a hard lump of undigested food, or grass, bulging, even in the morning, or a 'sour crop' where this has gone squidgy, like cream cheese, and the chicken's breath smells. I know how to clear it (I cleared Barbara's last time with olive oil in a syringe, and white fisherman's maggots in the evening).

[Tessa the Duchess]

I understand that it is things like dry bread, dry oats etc., that cause crop problems. I would have thought cooked veggies would be fine.

 

Tessa

[Steph101]

Thanks.

[Olly]

I've fed mine cooked and raw veg, and never had a problem. Mrs Tilytinkle (edit: oops, sorry it was Tessa, not Mrs T!) is right, it's mainly stuff that is dry and swells up in the crop, like bread or oats, or long stringy grass that they can't move on.

 

I think your chicken's problems are just a coincidence, unfortunately crop problems can arise anyway.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

I agree.

 

The grit the eat will deal adequately with cooked veg I would imagine.

 

Mine peck dainty mouthfuls they don't swallow them whole.