danb_1985 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb_1985 Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Thanks. Does it matter how fresh the veg is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb_1985 Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Ok thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pottage Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pottage Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb_1985 Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Thanks that's very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pottage Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Just noticed virginia creeper is on that list Nugget shreaded ours within about a week of us having her stupid chicken! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Pottage that is some list, it is a wonder any chooks survive. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
