Grow Your Own Magazine

for the next 5 days i am house/dog sitting for someone who has recently installed 3 chickens in their garden. unfortunately they have put them on an area which is pretty much hard standing so theres not much for them to peck at. i was told to put their feed in a feed holder but iv been spreading some around for them to peck at which they seem to be enjoying. i know i can give them kitchen scraps but i wanderd what is really good to give them? i tried some pea pods yesterday and they werent impressed. i know not to give them lettuce though. cabbage went down well but i dont have much going spare! i dont even mind buying them something but i feel for them having no scratching/pecking surface. i even though abotu picking a few worms out of my compost heap!

Hi,

I have only got my chooks a few days ago and although when I put new things in at first the look at like What is that!!!

But they love grapes, apple, melon and corn on the cob so far! I chop the apple and melon and put the corn in whole.

Enjoy, Mandy

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Why shouldn't we give our chooks lettuce? Mine have been having some almost daily as a late treat and go crazy for it. No ill effects, but is it wrong to feed it to them?

we kept chickens when i was much much younger and my mum always said not to give them lettuce because it gives them the squits.

Chickens love weeds: Fat Hen and Chickweed spring to mind. Cleavers too.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Tinned peaches!! they had a few t'other day in a 'leftover mash' and they went mad for them.
Chooks are pretty unfussy

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updated 14 May 2008

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too much lettuce gives them the runs, not nice! dandilion leaves always go down well, and slugs and snails, they love marmite on bread too but not too much as bread can also give them the runs. raisins, and other dried fruit, to give them exersise try a cabbage or very small lettuce hung up in a net bag so they have to jump to get it.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

Lettuce is not good for birds as with rabbits. Too much can actually cause them major problems and the problems is what is fine for one bird is too much for another.

Putting the feed down on the ground is fine when it is dry. However, if you put the feed on the damp ground, it can then go sour and apart from stinking it can gause gastric problems for the birds.

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www.poultryproducts.co.uk

When you say they're on hard standing, is it concrete or something like that? Do they have a layer of something in the run that they can scratch around in? This is probably even more important than having fresh greens! But other treats you could give them are grapes, tomatoes, sweetcorn. Don't overdo it though, chickens can get fat (especially in confined runs) and it's not good for them.

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Dwell simply ~ love richly

thanks for all the ideas. i bought a melon and grape fruit salad today and they went mad for the grapes. they arent on concrete as such but its very firm and gravelly. its rubbish really. the people im dog/house/chook sitting for had a child about 4 years ago and they fenced off the garden so the dogs wouldnt pee and poo on the lawn. they gave a bit of their drive to the dogs but its gravel and the dogs dont use it. its pretty miserable for them because they only have the patio now. anyway so thats where the chickens are. its been dry but i wouldnt throw food down on wet. i pulled up some peas yesterday and tied the haulms up and they seemd to enjoy that. im going to try to get their owners to give them more than just basic food because im sure they will get bored. theres nothing for them to scratch in. they like dust baths too dont they