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

[DebC]

Hi

 

I don't know if my girls are just being fussy, but they won't eat their veggies! So far I've tried cabbage (raw and cooked), green beans (raw and cooked) lettuce, sweetcorn, carrots, apples, broccoli. They did eat potatoes.

 

They just want to eat the layers pellets and corn as a treat.

 

Any ideas. I had thought they would deal with all the kitchen leftovers (my brothers chickens eat anything he gives them!), but all they do is walk all over it! any ideas?

 

I tried not giving them any corn to see if that would make a difference, but they still just ignored all the veg.

 

I've not had them that long - am I just being impatient?

 

Thanks

[Porkypie]

My hens weren't fussed by 'treats' other than corn when I first got them. It took them a few weeks to realise how tasty boiled up potato skins actually are. I guess on the farm they'd never seen anything other than pellets, grass and the odd bit of corn. A few months on though and if they catch sight of the bowl the veggies are in they come running Maybe your will be the same?

[scrambledhead]

Ours refuse anything green and leafy!

But they love grapes, tomatoes and pasta

[Space Chick]

Before ours started laying they were not too interested, but once they started laying they started going crazy for veg.

 

I blitz my veg in a food processor with some bokashi bran, in fact they are tucking into a bowl of carrot, runner bean and plum peelings with bokashi as we speak

[Chucky Mama]

Our girls who free range all day turn their beaks up and anything green. They do like sweetcorn, grapes and tinned unsalted peas though I have given up giving them things like cabbage and broccoli as they are obviously finding more tasty greens around the garden.

[Space Chick]

Yes, I should add that earlier whilst free-ranging the decimated my Brussel Sprouts and have eaten a load of Courgette leaves. They show my veg patch no mercy

[Chucky Mama]

Yes, I should add that earlier whilst free-ranging the decimated my Brussel Sprouts and have eaten a load of Courgette leaves. They show my veg patch no mercy

 

Hmm, I get the feeling that if I planted cabbage in my veg patch they would scoff it then. They ate all of the tops of my potatoes the little horrors

[dippy bird]

Have to say, mine are just as bad.They love corn on the cob, baby toms and new strawberries that have just grown on my plants, but when offered anything else of the veggie variety, they ignore it!! have to say though, they love left over yorkie puds!!!

Judy (Sweety)

Betty (Sussex)

Magaret (Ranger)

Aggie (Red Star)

Maud (Black Rock)

[DebC]

Wow, thanks for all your replies

 

I have to say that they are clearly like children (not that I have any) but this evening I tried them on left over chips! They were so entertaining. Chardonnay started it by running off with one of the chips with the other three in hot pursuit

 

All the chips gone in 5 minutes flat!

 

It's going to be trial and error as to what they will eat. I hope the other food experiments are as entertaining!

 

Thanks again

[Chickvic]

Mine can be quite fussy, they like their veggies to be cooked

[mikk100]

I have had mine about 6 weeks and they are only just starting to enjoy treats...they have this past week developed a habit of running after me like mad so I nearly stand on them because each time I see them they think they're getting something exciting.

 

I started by mixing things like my beetroot skins and leftover cooked veg in with their layers mash and adding water to make like a paste....if you do that you can mix in anything they go wild for it...you can even use the water from cooking your veg to make full use of your recycling capabilities!!!!! Blackberries are gratefully received in this way although the result of this does stain your patio!!!!

 

I have to say they are still not fussed on any hard veg and the cabbage-on-a-string idea has totally disinterested them(sweetcorn on the otherhand....)

 

If all else fails I understand they get everything they need from the mash anyway...

[Hen Watch]

I have to say that they are clearly like children (not that I have any) but this evening I tried them on left over chips! They were so entertaining. Chardonnay started it by running off with one of the chips with the other three in hot pursuit

 

Definately like children..............AND........ their tastes change as they get older.

 

First year, my lot never touched raw carrot and would only eat it cooked. Never touched lettuce either but liked most other things.

 

Now 2 years on, they will eat raw carrot peelings and lettuce happily. Before they were eating raw sprout peelings, they now refuse them unless they are cooked.... just can't win.

 

Also with my lot, cabbage leaves thrown on the grass are completely ignored.... but if I tie them up with string and hang it from the run bars they suddenly become massively desirable and they eat it. They are fussy little madams.