What can chickens eat?

[pipscariad]

Oh well, wide eyed and eggless

I read that for the first time as 'wide eyed and legless'

chickens love weeds: Fat Hen, Chickweed ...

One of my chooks very favourite things is dandelions, dug up root an' all - they go mad squabbling over who gets the muddy roots!

As someone has mentioned, mine turned up their beaks at Cabbage White caterpillars, and they don't eat leeks either - but apart from that, everything they've been offered goes down well.

Good luck, and enjoy the chooks

[Suechooks]

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread - but do they like chard? I do - we love it - but I notice it's the only type of green the pigeons don't try to strip so I thought I'd grow more next year. Any reason - too acid? If so, won't hens eat it - or will they eat it and be ill? Anyone know?

Hi
Yes mine eat chard with no ill effects. I grow beds of it on my allotment for them and leave areas exposed so they can help themselves when they're out on the plot.

[Tracey]

My chooks adore cooked unsmoked bacon rind as an occasional treat.

[lynda66]

Thanks for all your advice. I have looked around at other tall sided coops and they don't seem to have mesh on the top. I might put it on anyway, now you mention foxes. Our labrador loves the chickens but can't understand why they don't want to be her friend and peck her nose. The cat is now looking at them with utter disdain after having her nose savaged. They are in the rabbit run at the moment, whilst we complete their enclosure. I thought about putting bark on the floor for them to scratch about in after seeing what they can do to grass!

if it helps make a decision, we have a fox, next door but one neighbour put a 6 foot fence up at the bottom of the garden..... and the fox goes straight over it ....... they will also dig under the wire, so completely fox proof means adressing that too.

[Flummery]

True this. We have given up any thought of 6 ft fencing around the place as even that isn't certain. We will be making the run with a mesh roof and ensuring the wire goes below ground too. Devilish cunning, yer actual fox!

[Nicos]

My chooks adore cooked unsmoked bacon rind as an occasional treat.

Oooooo...so do I !!!!!Mmmmm....crispy bacon rind

[frias]

Our run has mesh on top and dug into the ground. However if I'm about the hens are loose in the garden. We have 6 ft fences but I know the fox can get over it as it has been seen in my garden and that was before we got the hens.
I don't think there's much a chicken won't eat.

[Rosie.]

the appropriatly named chickweed,
as everyone has said they just go nuts for it!
and its a weed, so free!
did have loads in the orchard,
well before the chooks got to it

[terrier]

When we founs a fox IN the chicken house (and all deceased chooks) we called in friendly farmer with big gun. Unfortunately (fortunately for the fox) friendly farmer was a lousy shot and missed the fox. Scared the hell out of it though and we've not seen a fox since

[frias]

Must be awful to lose all your chickens like that. I have heard of a fox taking the roof of the coop off. Unfortunately my aim would be like your farmer friend. Couldn't hit an elephant stood in front of me.

[lynda66]

well the fox was here first ..... so as i'm not prepared to get anyone to shoot it, i'll have to make extra sure it can't get in the coop.

[Bephlam]

Spaghetti - huge worms!! I'm sure they think this...as they charge around chasing each other for it (even though there is a BIG bowl of it in the middle of the run!!! lol).

I've hung a red cabbage up for them tonight, so they'll discover that in the morning. I'm not sure what they'll make of it - but knowing them they'll work it out....it's far more solid than their usual cabbages, but we'll see how they go with it. I'm looking forward to the red faces and poos though!! lol

[Hashette]

Tuna - I offered them a handful of it. Ouch, I didn't think they'd like it that much! Next time I'll put it in a dish.....

[Bephlam]

OMG - I can't believe the colour of my girls as a result of this red cabbage! They seriously look like they've had a blue rinse, and their poo...OMG...It's BRIGHT BLUE!!! I'll have no problems finding them in the run today to pick up!!

I don't think I'll be giving them this again - yeah, they're enjoying it...and yeah, it's funny...but they're purple!

[lynda66]

OMG - I can't believe the colour of my girls as a result of this red cabbage! They seriously look like they've had a blue rinse, and their poo...OMG...It's BRIGHT BLUE!!! I'll have no problems finding them in the run today to pick up!!

I don't think I'll be giving them this again - yeah, they're enjoying it...and yeah, it's funny...but they're purple!

goes off to plant red cabbage .... been trying to find purple chooks everywhere