hmmm.......well there ya go.
I guess I'll avoid it in the future, but before I knew that I gave a bunch to my chicks and they are all fit as a fiddle, so if you accidentally do give some to the gals they will probably be okay. :)
Where did you find that catmad? I'd love to find a definitive list of dos and don'ts. Everyone always has things they heard were bad, but I'd like to know for sure that it is legit.
makshi, I know, right? We were bummed out for both the chicken and the toad.
Pasta is a big hit at our house. Strawberries. Greens in the winter. In the summer they'd just as well forage on their own for greens. They do love corn. I throw them all my corn on the cob left overs . If there is still corn parts on eaten cobs I throw that in as well.
Does anyone know of any treats for chickens?
BackyardHens, I found it by googling "avocado toxicity birds", and it brought up a lot. I picked one to post that was simple, but had some veterinary expertise behind it. I most often use exotic bird sites to figure out what's going on with my chickens, even tho I'm currently chickenless :(.
I'm surprised they wouldn't eat the peppers, were they bell or hot peppers? I had to fence my hot peppers to keep the BucBucs out of them. They loved the volunteer Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes that grew up into the trees, and flew/jumped up to get at them. Sigh. I miss my chickens, but we haven't gotten a chickenpalace built here at the new house. Next spring. Sigh.
Margo
Mine wouldn't eat peppers either, sweet or otherwise. They'd knock a hole in the pepper and that's it. The tomatoes were another matter altogether.
My birds are now contained in two huge yards, because I got tired of losing my bulbs, perennials, and veggies. The hens still have plenty of fresh grass and weeds to eat, and they'd LOVE to get into the soft wormy dirt of my raised beds, but I had to draw the line.
:)
My chickens looooove iceburg lettuce and I can usually get it on sale -- 3 heads for $1.00 or thereabouts -- so it's a good deal. They love apples and they also loooove tomatoes but tomatoes are too expensive to give to chickens so they don't get them very often. They don't particularly care for carrots or raw pumpkin seeds. They like raw sunflower seeds but I give it to them shelled. Will they actually eat sunflower seeds still in the shell?
I throw old sunflower heads into their pen and they go crazy, so yes.
Okay here is a link that will put the avacado question to rest and may help everyone
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=15&cat=1912&articleid=2236
So ripe avacadoes are okay, but not underripe ones or any of the tree material.
I give my girls birdseed in the winter when they are looking for treats :)
"Okay here is a link that will put the avacado question to rest and may help everyone"
(smile) Okay, I guess it needs to be a personal decision. I tend to have more faith in an exotic Vet than a pet supply company, but that's just me.
Margo
Thinks for the list. It is very interesting to see what houseplants they can eat.
maybe the eggs will taste like bananas ? lol :) ok i had to say that . forgive me
i have a friend who gives her chickens popcorn, is this ok for them.
I can't wait to get chicks.
we are going to get a farm and i want to start doing turkeys and chickens.
I never new they ate fruit though ? huh i m glad i saw this forum,
i will learn so much from you all
sue
I feed mine everything but the kitchen sink…( EXCEPT CHICKEN)..they love Watermelon, cucumbers, carrots, rice, pasta, spaghetti sauce, grapes, Tomatoes, corn, lettuce, Chili Mac, Italian sausage, Italian beef, hot dogs, cottage cheese, fruit salad, potato salad, cheese, bugs, worms, cicadas went over real well. ..cherries, oranges, plums, apples, peaches, red raspberries, bananas, grass clippings. Peas, Greens Beans, Baked beans, Jell-O, Pasta Salad, Bread, buns. Bologna.. Cherry pie, Lemon Meringue PIE Birthday cake (And they loved it)... they don’t seem to care for Celery or green peppers)They are fat and sassy.....When I step out the door and say…HERE CHICK,CHICK,CHICK, they all come running with their wings flapping..It’s a race to see who will get to the gate first….its hysterical… they are ready for treats ANY TIME!!
I would think if the popcorn had NO butter and especially NO salt it would be fine. My other birds love popcorn.
I gave the pen a 3/4 of a watermelon that just wasn't sweet enough (bought at the store) and they devoured it. Spent a day and half turning the rind into a thin shell. Even the ducks got in on the act when it was fleshy trying to gobble as much of the "meat" as they could.
They like bananas and most anything else. Noodles are a big hit along with puffed rice cereal.
~Julie
What about sweet peppers that are green???
Do ckickens like sweet peppers??
Tracey
I try to have fruit everyday, so we have a lot of peels left over!
I chop them up into small pieces then put them through the little coffee grinder. This makes a finely chopped fruit meal for even the littlest chicks!
Thanks Eufaula,
That looks good to me even and thinking of fruit an apple a day keeps the vet and doctors away..
Tracey
My chickens have never liked sweet peppers.
My Tyson LOVES walking sticks! I guess they are OK for her to eat. She has been trying to eat the dog's canned dog food. I haven't let her because it is Chicken & Rice flavor and that just doesn't seem right. She has sneaked a peck or two, though.
My chickens looooove chicken! They are absolute cannibals!
Along the lines of the toxicity to birds...I would also avoid cilantro. One of the vet techs I work with put 3 ducks into a pen last week for a couple minutes. They started chomping down on cilantro growing next to the fence line. He came back a few minutes later and all 3 were in a comatose state. Their breath smelled strongly of cilantro. 2 of the ducks ended up surviving and one died. I hadn't heard of cilantro toxicosis before (I'm an avian + small animal vet) but some internet research did have it listed on the plant list toxic to birds.
they can also get salt toxicosis too so don't give salty stuff like saltine crackers. Caitrine
My ladies love having the watermelon rind, any type of bread with either jelly and/or butter, and it can be soft bread or toast, and of course, crushed up egg shells. When we eat the eggs, we save the egg shells so we do not have to buy them at the local feed store. One of the local farmers said to me that as long as what you give them is not spice or leave a taste, they can eat about anything. He said do not give them garlic, onions or things of that nature. He said at one time, they would buy cheap spaghetti and cook it for them and watch them go to town on it. And it never changed their laying habits, he got the same amount of eggs from them. Too bad my pygmy goats are as easy to treat, they will only eat sweet things for treats. Hope this is helpful.
Michael
good info on treats for chickens...i've got to get some for my ducklings and goslings...i noticed pickiness with the goats and that is so against what i grew up hearing about goats!
I have been baking treats for my chickens made with peanut butter, apple sauce, or pumpkin as a base, with mash as a fortifier, and crushed shells or spaghetti.
So far everyone loves'em, from the kid's hamster, the dog, the chickens, ducks and pheasant. The trick was in the begining was that I was making them to big and have to break them up when feeding. The whole house gets involved when they are being made, my husband gets a chuckle, and the girls get a treat.
My girls go nuts over cottage cheese and plain yogurt. They love the flavored yogurt too, but I worry about too much sugar. I take a cup out with a plastic teaspoon, and hold it out a spoon at a time. It's quite entertaining to watch. Hold tight, though. You're always going to get one who tries to take the whole spoon!!! You can always hold it slightly out of reach for laughs.
They went crazy over leftover birthday cake too. Strawberries are good too.
PS. yogurt is messy LOL!!
Chickens will also eat...chicken (or any meat scrap) and surplus hard boiled eggs.
Years ago when we milked goats we use to mix warm goats milk into their laying mash...just what they would clean up by the end of the day.
They loved it especially in the winter.
Where is Nicksmom? Haven't seen her in ages
Can ducks have the same treats as the chickens? The only treat I've given them is grass clippings!
I have given my ducks small bits of leftover popcorn, and even mini-marshmellows. I have been thinking about buying some crickets from the pet store for them.
This message was edited Nov 19, 2007 12:06 PM
I feed my girls raisins. They seen to love them!
It must be hilarious watching them chase the crickets! If the rain lets up, I'm heading out with some raisins!
Darcy, what kind of crested ducks do you have? And do you have to take special care in the winter with the crested ducks? Loved the pic!
I make Boredom Busters for my chickens. Now I have over 100 chickens.
There is never a quiet day for them. They yack and quack and fuss all
day. Snow for the young ones omg I fell over laughing, they all considered
it "HAWK" and ran pell mell with everyone else for the corner shade. Even
the ones who know what snow is ran, just to be with the group.
Moist and Meaty dog food. Mine love it! I use it to help train them to stand right in the show coops.
Sandy,
I think these ducks are from the rouen family. I've looked around on the net for some education on them, but I have been unsuccessful at finding anything with crest. When they came home, they had the same lipstick like markings indicating the sex. But months later, much to our surprise, one started to change colors and grow bigger. It was a beautiful display, like watching fireworks on the fourth of July, only much longer.
My son was working partime at the local feed store in the spring, and he called home one Saturday after a spring shippment of game birds and chicks came in, wanting to bring home a few leftovers. So now we are duck and chicken owners.
Hi poultry people'
my dear mother bless her soul used to raise 200 hundred chickens every year, usually arriving in mid february to mid march,they spent the first two weeks behind the kitchen wood stove. The main diet was finely chopped hard boiled eggs,and plenty of water. Dont know if it did them any good,they grew fast,rarely lost any and they sure tasted good sunday afternoon.
fond memories of my childhood
Robert
I have a book that gave me some suggestions, and one of them was macaroni and cheese, lol! Yep, they loved it!
My gals (and guys) love tomatoes, watermelon, hardboiled eggs, and cheerios. Now that it's getting really cold and windy out, I've been keeping them in the building. To give them something to pick/scratch at, I've been throwing a flake of alfalfa hay in, and scattering it around.
for a special treat I will give out mealworms, not too cheap, but on a special day:)
Safflower seed seem like a hit too.
I found myself being a duck owner several years ago almost the same way. We stopped in the feedstore and they were selling chicks and ducks. I had always had chickens but no ducks. My daughter pleaded with me until I gave in and we brought home 2 pekin ducklings. Well, now I'm glad I did-love their eggs and personality! My daughter on the otherhand doesn't pay any attention to them at all!
Hi all just dropping in to say hi ... I no longer have chickens and will visit you all here any more needs me e-mail me.
Tracey
My chickens are all in their house and they are looking out the windows its so cute.
sher
phooey, what difference does it make? anyone can file a law suit! i am being sued by my neighbor for $5,000.00 in chicken damages!!!
wigglypaw, i loved those boredoem balls, can you dmail me the recipe?
my chickens love banana peels! no wooly worms for them! pumpkin seeds are great dewormers, and try picking upa huge bag of manzanilla from the store, what they don't eat helps speed up your composting and may yield some chamomile plants for you next year!
last year i posted and so did someone else, a link to a stie listing what NOT to feed your chickens. i have a new hard drive, so will have to search this forum or the farm life forum to find that thread...
oh, i also find patches of winter type grasses that come up wild areound here, and eventually hope to have a worm farm started for chicken treats!
tf
In the winter time i give mine can cat food, takes place of not having any bugs.
Ken