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

[danb_1985]

Ok so I have 2 questions.

 

I've had my chickens for 4 days now. One hen is laying and I've already had 3 eggs. First 2 days I was aware that she was laying and heard her cluck and squark about for 5-10 mins before laying. Today no noise but an egg still there. My first question is, do they get quieter once they are used to the process?

 

2nd question, what fruit and veg can they eat, or more so not eat? Does it matter if it's fresh or not?

[miller30]

Hi no they don't get any quieter you probably just didn't hear her they love to tell the world they have laid an egg pekins are the worst and having about 60 My goodness when they all join in .Mine eat all the pears,Apples and Plums that fall from my fruit trees plus I give them any Greens,Corn you will get to know what they like make sure they have plenty of grit and oyster shell and you will also notice any thing scares them or they don't like something they will sound the alarms which is the same noise as they have just laid an egg leanne

[danb_1985]

Thanks. Does it matter how fresh the veg is?

[Cat tails]

If you weren't planning to eat the fruit or veg, because it's mouldy or something, they shouldn't eat it either.

You should be careful with dried fruits, because it can expand a lot in their crop. I would do anything canned or tinned, because the veg is often salted and the fruit sugared.

 

This site will show you a good list with thing you can feed: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

[danb_1985]

Ok thanks for the advice

[Pottage]

I have 4 ex batts, and they never, ever do the egg song. Steve makes a happy gurgling sound when she's sitting in the nest box (or, in the bush which seems to be her new favourite place to lay :-/ ), but that's as noisy as they get.

 

Nugget did the egg song once or twice when we first got them, but hasn't since. They mostly just toddle off to the nest box for a bit, lay their egg and turn around to have a look it and then come down into the run and carry on as normal.

 

I only feed my girls what I would eat myself, in actual fact I am probably more carefull with them as I'm far more likely to eat something out of date or slightly on the turn

 

Mine go crazy for tinned sweetcorn (get the stuff with no added salt or sugar), watermelon, beetroot leaves and grapes (see video below!). They also like mashed banana (never give the peel) and strawberries. Pretty much if it's in our fridge I try them with it to see if they like it.

 

Try and avoid onion and garlic - they can eat them without any detriment to their health, but your eggs will taste like onions/garlic which doesn't sound very appealing to me! They also shouldn't have raw potato or avacado in any form as they are poisonous.

 

Grapes

 

 

Beetroot leaves

 

Edited August 20, 2014 by Guest

[Pottage]

Here's a list of plants that are toxic to poultry, I don't know whether it is comprehensive though. Chickens supposedly know instinctively what they should and shouldn't eat, though mine have been known to pick at the tomato plants which I am fairly sure they shouldn't do :-/

 

After a scare with live morio worms (giant mealworms that can eat their way out of your chooks crop if they are not dead when swallowed ), I Google everything new before I try it on my girls.

 

ARUM LILY

 

AMARYLLIS

 

ARALIA

 

ARROWHEAD VINE

 

AUTUMN CROCUS

 

AUSTRALIAN FLAMETREE

 

AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE

 

AVOCADO

 

AZALEA

 

BANEBERRY

 

BEANS: (CASTOR, HORSE, FAVA, BROAD, GLORY, SCARLET RUNNER,

 

MESCAL, NAVY, PREGATORY)

 

BIRD OF PARADISE

 

BISHOP'S WEED

 

BLACK LAUREL

 

BLACK LOCUST

 

BLEEDING HEART OR DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES

 

BLOODROOT

 

BLUEBONNET

 

BLUEGREEN ALGAE

 

BOXWOOD

 

BRACKEN FERN

 

BUCKTHORN

 

BULB FLOWERS: (AMARYLLIS, DAFFODIL, NARCISSUS, HYACINTH & IRIS)

 

BURDOCK

 

BUTTERCUP

 

CACAO

 

CAMEL BUSH

 

CASTOR BEAN

 

CALADIUM

 

CANA LILY

 

CARDINAL FLOWER

 

CHALICE (TRUMPET VINE)

 

CHERRY TREE

 

CHINA BERRY TREE

 

CHRISTMAS CANDLE

 

CLEMATIS (VIRGINIA BOWER)

 

CLIVIA

 

COCKLEBUR

 

COFFEE (SENNA)

 

COFFEE BEAN (RATTLEBUSH, RATTLE BOX & COFFEEWEED)

 

CORAL PLANT

 

CORIANDER

 

CORNCOCKLE

 

COYOTILLO

 

COWSLIP

 

CUTLEAF PHILODENDRON

 

DAFFODIL

 

DAPHNE

 

DATURA STRAMONIUM (ANGEL'S TRUMPET)

 

DEATH CAMUS

 

DELPHINIUM

 

DEVIL'S IVY

 

DIEFFENBACHIA (DUMB CANE)

 

ELDERBERRY

 

ELEPHANT EAR (TARO)

 

ENGLISH IVY

 

ERGOT

 

EUCALYPTUS (DRIED, DYED OR TREATED IN FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS)

 

EUONYMUS (SPINDLE TREE)

 

EUPHORBIA CACTUS

 

FALSE HELLEBORE

 

FLAME TREE

 

FELT PLANT (MATERNITY, AIR & PANDA PLANTS)

 

FIG (WEEPING)

 

FIRE THORN

 

FLAMINGO FLOWER

 

FOUR O'CLOCK

 

FOXGLOVE

 

GLOTTIDIUM

 

GOLDEN CHAIN

 

GRASS: (JOHNSON, SORGHUM, SUDAN & BROOM CORN)

 

GROUND CHERRY

 

HEATHS: (KALMIA, LEUCOTHO, PEIRES, RHODODENDRON, MTN. LAUREL,

 

BLACK LAUREL, ANDROMEDA & AZALEA)

 

HELIOTROPE

 

HEMLOCK: (POISON & WATER)

 

HENBANE

 

HOLLY

 

HONEYSUCKLE

 

HORSE CHESTNUT

 

HORSE TAIL

 

HOYA

 

HYACINTH

 

HYDRANGEA

 

IRIS IVY: (ENGLISH & OTHERS)

 

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT

 

JASMINE (JESSAMINE)

 

JERUSALEM CHERRY

 

JIMSONWEED

 

JUNIPER

 

KY. COFFEE TREE

 

LANTANA (RED SAGE)

 

LARKSPUR

 

LILY OF THE VALLEY

 

LILY, ARUM

 

LOBELIA

 

LOCOWEED (MILK VETCH)

 

LOCUSTS, BLACK / HONEY

 

LORDS & LADIES (CUCKOOPINT)

 

LUPINE

 

MALANGA

 

MARIJUANA (HEMP)

 

MAYAPPLE (MANDRAKE)

 

MEXICAN BREADFRUIT

 

MEXICAN POPPY

 

MILKWEED, COTTON BUSH

 

MISTLETOE

 

MOCK ORANGE

 

MONKSHOOD

 

MOONSEED

 

MORNING GLORY

 

MTN. LAUREL

 

MUSHROOMS, AMANITA

 

MYRTLE

 

NARCISSUS

 

NETTLES

 

NIGHTSHADES: (DEADLY, BLACK, GARDEN, WOODY, BITTERSWEET,

 

EGGPLANT, JERUSALEM CHERRY)

 

OAK

 

OLEANDER

 

OXALIS

 

PARSLEY

 

PEACE LILY

 

PERIWINKLE

 

PHILODENDRONS: (SPLIT LEAF, SWISS CHEESE, HEART-LEAF)

 

PIGWEED

 

POINCIANA

 

POINSETTIA

 

POISON IVY

 

POISON HEMLOCK

 

POISON OAK: (WESTERN & EASTERN)

 

POKEWEED

 

POTATO SHOOTS

 

POTHOS

 

PRIVET

 

PYRACANTHA

 

RAIN TREE

 

RANUNCULUS, BUTTERCUP

 

RAPE

 

RATTLEBOX, CROTALARIA

 

RED MAPLE

 

RED SAGE (LANTANA)

 

RHUBARB LEAVES

 

RHODODENDRONS

 

ROSARY PEA SEEDS

 

SAND BOX TREE

 

SKUNK CABBAGE

 

SORREL (DOCK)

 

SNOW DROP

 

SPURGES: (PENCIL TREE, SNOW-ON-MTN, CANDELABRA, CROWN OF THORNS)

 

STAR OF BETHLEHEM

 

SWEET PEA

 

SWISS CHEESE PLANT (MONSTERA)

 

TANSY RAGWORT

 

TOBACCO

 

UMBRELLA PLANT

 

VETCH: HAIRY/COMMON

 

VIRGINIA CREEPER

 

WATTLE

 

WEEPING FIG

 

WHITE CEDAR, CHINA BERRY

 

WISTERIA

 

YEWS

 

YELLOW JASMINE

[Cat tails]

Mine would devour the tomato if they got the chance... Every piece that sticks over the little fence is plucked and eaten...

No egg song here either. All will "purr" sitting on the nest, but that is about it.

[danb_1985]

Thanks that's very helpful!

[Pottage]

Just noticed virginia creeper is on that list

 

Nugget shreaded ours within about a week of us having her stupid chicken!

[Purplemaniacs]

Pottage that is some list, it is a wonder any chooks survive.

 

Chrissie