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

[Tilly Bud]

I know i've only had my chickens a week but i was getting a bit worried when they wern't really bothered about any 'treats' i gave them. I'd tried grapes, tomatoes, cucumber etc etc. Then i gave them raisins! They went absolutley MENTAL! It was brilliant! I was as excited as they were! They were squabbling over them, eating them so quickly and running up to me! Their personalities really started to show and it was fantastic! They love the noise of the box shaking and ADORE the raisins!

 

Has anyone got any other treats their chickens go mad for? Any wierd ones? Cos different chickens must have different tastes?!

 

Karen

[mrs chook]

Well done! My chinchillas go MAD for raisins, mmm yummy. It's nice to find something to bribe them with

[Faye&Ant]

Thats fantastic, they can get really greedy over treats cant they!

 

My girls love everything BUT raisins - so well done!

[Cooks]

raisins were one of the first things I gave my girls as a treat, they love them..

mine adore, grapes, cucumber, mealworms, sweetcorn of any description, tomatoe, bananas.. not keen on broccolli anymore,

edited to add, I cant believe I forgot, they love pasta of any type and cooker rice also!

Edited July 6, 2008 by Guest

[Mutrix Farmers]

Mine go mental for grapes and won't touch raisins!

 

Mixed corn is a good bribe for mine as I put some in an old yoghurt pot and rattle it. They'll follow me anywhere!

 

You could try pasta (spaghetti is really funny to watch) or rice. And then there is dried mealworms !

[welsh sarah]

mine arent keen on raisins either, they do love grapes sweetcorn and the favourite mealworms.

 

funny how they all like different things

sarah

[Tilly Bud]

I am going to try corn, everyone says it's good. I've JUST tried them on the rice left over from tea and they like that too, it takes them a bit longer to eat each grain though, they swallow the raisins whole! I only had the grains of rice off the spoon though and after they'd eaten the few i gave them, they were like "So? Where's the rest?!"

[hennymom]

MY GIRLS SNUB SWEETCORN and raisins but they jump almost 5 feet high when I take a bag of spinach into the run... they stand on my feet, squabble for 1st place jump all over the place and trip over each other to see who gets the 1st leaf os spinach.... its hilarious, I throw it into the run like sowing seed and the 6 girls spread out like a shock wave seeing who can hoover up the most spinach the fastest...and the yolks in the eggs are much more golden now....they love spinach!!!

[alexgirl73]

My girls LOVE muesli!! and grapes, sweetcorn, tuna, pasta, rice, shredded wheat lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cooked potato peelings, mashed potato, ready salted crisps (actually jump up onto my legs for these ) rabbit food which they only get if they manage to sneak into the bunnies run. Strawberry and coconut cake, oh and they'll eat their layer pellets if there is nothing else

[Guest]

Pasta - they think it's worms and kill it before eating!

 

Rice - ditto!

 

Broccoli, spinach, lettuce, beetroot tops, carrots, aweet corn, peas!

 

Basically anything ........

 

.....they're not keen on Oreos though.....(cpourtesy of my son)

 

Louise

[Valkyrie]

Ours like sultanas - haven't tried them with the raisins yet. They all go back into their cube run for their evening treat of mixed corn (I wish my children were so obedient). They do anything for slugs and snails - now my folks bring the blooming things from their garden - any escapees can be found making their way back to my mum's house! Yesterday I gave them a corn on the cob which I had cut into 3. They showed a bit of interest and then ignored them. By the time I went back out again there were just the husks left. I was weeding and gave them some milk thistles - they shredded the leaves and left the stalk. Green grapes they like (not tried red yet) and fight over the last remaining beakful - one pinches it and runs off with the others in hot persuit. Cabbage is yuk to them.

 

Louise, do you cook the carrots first?

 

Sounds a good idea to dispose of potato peelings - I have been throwing them in the bin.

[Abbey Road Girl]

Mine love all the things that have been previously mentioned, except spinach which they may see as the poor hens' version of delicious on-the-stalk bindweed (had plenty to begin with--where has it all gone?).

 

A big favourite which probably should not be given except very sparingly because of fat and salt is prawn crackers. It breaks up into tiny bits so easily and they all enjoy chasing after the wee pieces!

[Guest]

they ALL love a bit of soaked granary bread mushed up with Onken strawberry probiotic yoghurt.

 

they ALL love a bit of mashed potato, they had some leftover corned beef hash the other day and wolfed it!

 

they ALL love chips, I always save a couple if we're having them (no S&V though of course)

 

they ALL seemed to like strawberries the other day although at first they weren't sure what to make of them!

 

they ALL seem to like a bit of pasta (cooked)

 

they ALL love mixed corn

 

the also love sweetcorn or corn on the cob

 

they would mug you and trample you underfoot for mealworms!

 

some of them love grapes, others aren't so fussed.

 

some of them love sultanas, others aren't so fussed.

 

some of them like banana, again, others aren't so fussed.

 

oh yeah, and they nicked my egg fried rice last week while I was trying to eat it in the garden!

[frenchlayer]

I haven't tried raisins yet, but they do love the left over museli.

 

They went potty yesterday for watermelon once they worked out what is was.

 

They jump over each other for the lettuce we have which has gone to seed but which we are keeping and feeding to them.

[..lay a little egg for me]

Isn't it curious how some flocks seem to snub things that others love and vice versa. You would think that there would be more variation within the flock (I'm talking the 3-6 bird sized flocks that represent the majority on this forum). I wonder if the top hen decides what she likes and the others copy her? Or are their likes to do with the other nutrition they are getting (i.e., the food available in their free-ranging areas).

[Stevie]

Cheers for the raisin tip! I'll have to get a bag for my greedy pair!