Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[clucker1]

do they become marrows at what point? I don't know. Anyway, despite me checking ..... well so I had thought, 3 large courgettes had somehow mysteriously appeared.....ok, well they were HUGE! Anyway, 9 starving chickens are now enjoying them. I am slicing them in chunks and giving them half a courgette each night as a treat

[Lulabellx1]

That's exactly what we did with ours. Yes... a Marrow is just a large courgette. They are really nice, cut in half with the seeds s"Ooops, word censored!"ed out and baked. You can put mince beef inside, or if you are veggie you can mix breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese... or whatever you fancy.

 

We had three huge ones and we quickly got bored of stuffed Marrow so that chickens were treated to one

 

No... what to do with the runner beans?! x

[Olly]

Strictly speaking, a marrow is a different plant, and is intended to grow larger than a courgette - but you can treat them the same way. I wouldn't feed a good one to the chooks, they only get the ones that have been eaten by something or gone a bit soft! Even the large courgettes can be steamed or roasted. How do they do it though - I swear they double in size when you're not looking!

[sjp]

as said a marrow is slightly different to a courgette they grow a bit slower that a courgette and I think the originate from a different part of the world or at least a slightly different climate

I give my mob the whole courgettes it keeps them occupied longer mind it was fun watching them with the first yellow ones this year and of cause the big brave boys went and hid while the girls made sure they were not a threat

[Lulabellx1]

My mother in law is growing yellow ones in her allotment. They taste exactly the same!

 

My hens discovered the courgette plant (which they hadn't explored yet) yesterday and so... it has had to be fenced off. Along with the rhubarb and tomato plants! Every year I say that I am not going to let them free range as much in the summer, so I can actually grow something. But the cluck, clucking always gets the better of me

[clucker1]

Have just come up with another recipe for them....lightly boiled chopped courgettes. Put into oven tossed lightly in butter and add grated cheese and melt. Delicious and simple. Prob don't need the butter.

[ShellNick]

A bit late now, but runner bean chutney is lovely and great for getting rid of excess beans!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Wish I had a time delay camera - I'd set it up in my courgette patch 'cos I can't believe how fast they grow .

[Chickabee]

Couldn't believe how much mine liked marrow, sliced it in half down the centre, they gorged themselves on it. Guess large courgette would be the same

[daxigirl]

My lot like squashes too. If you cut in half and hang up they clean it out leaving the skin hanging like an upside down bowl. They do end up with orange bibs though, especially if they're white like Persil and Aeriel.

 

They don't get courgette though, yuk.

[jackian]

I cut my large courgettes in rings and hang them all over the place not long before they have a huge hole in the middle .They love the ones that are huge with lots of seeds .

[Ain't Nobody Here]

We had baked courgette with a mince filling last night - thanks to this thread .

[Chortle Chook]

I can see I need to cut up the courgettes. I gave one whole to my chickens (hung up) and though they all gathered around it and squawked a lot it never got touched. What a sacrifice for nothing I'll only give them cut pieces next - less of a scrifice that way too

[sjp]

it can take a while before they'll go for them even when they've had them before. I only cut the pumpkins open courgettes and cucumbers the get whole it keeps them occupied longer mine have got 2 or 3 big yellow ones tomorrow and that'll be fun last time it took them and hour or so before they attacked them

[clucker1]

My poor starving girls went for them straight away. When I had fewer chickens, there used to be stand off time,now it is every chicken for themselves and all food is big competition!!!