jjmack Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Hi, I have been following advice and am keeping the chickens in the run to eat some pellets and then letting them into an extended run, and then trying to treat them in the afternoon, but they don't seem interested. They will eat corn and meal worms, but aren't keen on cabbage (cooked or otherwise), grapes, spaghetti, cooked carrots, brocolli. They are nibbling at the hedge so are getting small amounts of greens but everyone seems to say that their chickens go mad for treats are mine just strange? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 No, mine aren't keen on greens. They love getting out to browse in the garden and eat grass, but not any greens I put in the run. They like corn and mealworms, and their morning mash, but that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Took ours a while to cotton on. Just keep tryingwith different things, and suddenly it will click! Try making up some Porridge (pellets/mash and hot water) and mix some cut up greens in there - like broccolli or cabbage, or even peas. Ours love that, and I think was how they started eating other things. They now eat all the treats out of the porridge first, and then eat the boring bit last! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 They're probably just healthy eaters and know what's best for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Mine don't eat greens but are all day free rangers. They do love sweetcorn and mealworms though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 my chickens like lettuce but it has to be a butterhead lettuce, iceberg just won't do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 I'm not sure how necessary greens are if they are FR more or less all day maybe 5 days a week. They are only cooped up a couple of days. I think they probably get enough greens from their FR foraging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 my chickens like lettuce but it has to be a butterhead lettuce, iceberg just won't do! Lovely Mind you, which would you prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 mine only eat cabbage when I put it in the run the 10 or 12 that are in the garden they leave be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 mine only eat cabbage when I put it in the run the 10 or 12 that are in the garden they leave be How lucky are you We have to plant greens specially for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 mine only eat cabbage when I put it in the run the 10 or 12 that are in the garden they leave be How lucky are you We have to plant greens specially for them. lucks got nothing to do with it the only reason that they are still in the ground is that the weather turned cold just after I planted them last October(2008) and they didn't start to grow till spring by which time I'd got other veg to eat also acouple got to big for one to eat and some are to small to bother with so they've got left for the chucks. one or two need pulling out due to the rain spoiling them but the rest will stay in the ground till spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 mine only eat cabbage when I put it in the run the 10 or 12 that are in the garden they leave be How lucky are you We have to plant greens specially for them. lucks got nothing to do with it the only reason that they are still in the ground is that the weather turned cold just after I planted them last October(2008) and they didn't start to grow till spring by which time I'd got other veg to eat also acouple got to big for one to eat and some are to small to bother with so they've got left for the chucks. one or two need pulling out due to the rain spoiling them but the rest will stay in the ground till spring It wasn't my intention to offend you. I was knocked out by the fact that you have cabbage growing in your garden and your hens don't trash it. Hope I haven't dug myself a bigger hole. You must forgive me, as my hens are free ranging I tend to think everyone elses are, which of course they are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 you didn't offend thats the trouble with writing especially for me I tend to ramble on. the point I was making about the cabbage was that they've been in 12 month they were suppost to be winter/spring cabbage. mine only get out on the weekend now, about 1 hr Saturdays then from about 11am Sundays and there far more intressting thing than cabbage for them they have they're faverite spots under the fruit trees the slate path under the cabbages by the feed store door the kitchen given half a chance. then there always a chance that I might get the wheat or meal worm tub out so the have to keep checking the back door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 you didn't offend thats the trouble with writing especially for me I tend to ramble on.the point I was making about the cabbage was that they've been in 12 month they were suppost to be winter/spring cabbage. mine only get out on the weekend now, about 1 hr Saturdays then from about 11am Sundays and there far more intressting thing than cabbage for them they have they're faverite spots under the fruit trees the slate path under the cabbages by the feed store door the kitchen given half a chance. then there always a chance that I might get the wheat or meal worm tub out so the have to keep checking the back door Phew! that's ok then. Hope the cabbage makes it for this spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Some do... some don't; mine love greens in the afternoon, and I blag the outer leaves from market stalls to hang up in their run. Some of the hens who lodge haven't liked greens though, well, not until they saw my lot eating them and they soon caught on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
