Single hen

[flowerangelk8x]

hi... my new chickens seem to be a bit fussy about thier afternoon snack.... i feed them pellets, with chicken spice, and grit first thing. which sometimes they eat loads of and sometimes not. ( only one of them is laying at the moment)

about 4 in the afternoon i give them some dried corn, few sultanas ...they scoff down, but they will not touch anything else? i have tried a sprout stem, with sprouts, a cabbage, grapes, apple, nut ball, ?

not sure if this is ok, i think i read that corn is not that good for them....? any other ideas what i can try?they can not free range at the moment as our fence is being repaired.

many thanks.....

[bluekarin]

Have you tried cooked rice or spaghetti (I break that in half before cooking otherwise I feel its a bit too long for them). I sometimes mix a few raisins with them while cooking, add some oil and poultry spice before they eat it. I have also given them warm porridge and warm wheetabix. They liked apples. I just chuck one out whole and they have a bit of fun with that. Or a pear. Mine love grapes. Or even some mealworms. I found it was trial and error, as if they didn't like something at first they then grew to like it. Bit like kids really. Hope this is of some help to you.

 

Edited to say mine hate sprouts and cabbage.

[finger lickin good]

We found that our chickens were a bit fussy. When we first tried them with raisins they just wouldn't entertain it. The second time they nearly chewed my hand off. I think if it is new they are abit unsure but if yours are anything like mine then try again and they will woulf it down.

[helen5848]

My three have been a bit fussy about their snacks - i have tried them with porridge a few times and they have turned their noses up!!!! However they love cooked rice and sweetcorn (taken from a tin - they won;t touch corn on the cob).

[C&T]

Our chickens can be fussy madams.

 

Then my brother for my birthday bought me a small bag of chicken food (amongst other chickeny parafanalia!!). As it was pellets, and I know ours aren't fussed on pellets, I thought I would make it into porridge for them.

 

So I made the first lot up - and they wolfed it down. Hooray I thought, the food won't be wasted!! AND I have found something that they both love, makes a great treat, and is good for them! Win win situation!!

 

Then I realised, it was growers pellets not layers...

 

Ho hum.

 

Thought too good to be true!

[chelsea]

I hang up a corn on the cob and a broccoli and they love it. Also gives them something to play with - hanging it up takes longer to eat and gives them a bit of exercise in the process

[Sky]

I did dried meal worms and mashed potatoes with my 5 this afternoon and it was all gone within 15 mins - they loved it

[BarbaraJ]

when they are new they are not that botered about treats, they are all different , mine wouldn't touch corn on the cob now they love it. they have always loved mixed corn, raisins, mashed pots, any pasta. they now refused brussel stem love greens/cabbage love cooked veg, mealworms.

[jennybrom]

mine go mad for spinach, I give them the perpetual stuff that I grow on the allotment - I've only given them sweetcorn twice, the first time they didn't seem to know what it was and the second it was gone in a flash! I give them frozen sweetcorn (defrosted first!)

[flowerangelk8x]

thanks for all your tips, i've got lots of ideas now

and glad to hear that other hens can be a bit fussy to

[HENthusiastic]

I have yet to find anything edible that my girls dont eat. Anything and everything is treated as if it is the best thing ever tasted

[smithy36]

I agreee that the little madams are like children - anything is immediatley met with "I dont like that" - they dont really try it.... However after repeated attempts they seem to like the food that they previously refused!

 

And dont forget - their appetite will really increase when they start to lay - before mine were laying you could hardly tell that they had eaten anyting, but now they seem to eat ALL day!!!!

[stellabystarlight]

Hiya

 

Have you tried Lettuce? Mine love baby Gem Lettuce, I hold it for them and they go Mad for it. Apparently the Lettuce also helps with making their yolks more yellow

[Kalu]

Hi,

 

Can the girls have green pepper? have some left over from our lunch!

 

Thanks

K