Chicken Treats

[cherrycoop]

Like many on this forum I am quite new to chicken keeping and I am probably making a few(many!) mistakes. My 4 RIRs are most definitely pets. They free range all day and have access to loads of bugs. I am unable to get them 'proper' chicken food as there is no animal feed being produced at the moment so give them cooked rice, greens, the odd handful of corn, mashed cooked egg and shells. Their favourite treat is chopped raw onion. What I would like to know is if there is anything I should most definitely NOT be giving them. What do others give their chickens as treats?

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Cherrycoop. So you are finding the eggs OK then because that was a worry at one stage. Raw onion seems to control cankers and I bet it has loads of other benefits as well. Egg and bugs is too much protein I think, but it depends so I would say 1 egg between 4 a day max. There must be loads of seashells they pick up for grit and that will be sufficient Calcium. Cooked rice has no nutritional value to speak of; it's a treat. Ours get spagetti and Yorkshire pudding occasionally as well. Usually wheat or mixed corn would be a daily treat but if you haven't got pellet feed they are essential. Avoid too much maize (sweetcorn) as they get fat and go off laying.

 

[Sue]

Hello cherrycoop, you're obviously not the only person who keeps chickens where you live, so what do other people feed their? Why isn't there any poultry feed available?

 

[Chuck]

I wish mine would eat onion but they won't touch it. Years ago, chickens lived and laid eggs on a diet of corn with household scraps.
It's better to look on them as productive pets rather than just pets as just pets are inclined to be fed all manner of unsuitable feed. Why would you keep hens and feed them the eggs ? Would you keep a cow or a goat and feed the milk back to them ?
Free range your hens will be finding all the treats they need but a little cooked rice does them no harm and you don't have to worry about feeding corn as free range and laying they will burn it off.

 

[cherrycoop]

Sue you are absolutely right about other chickens here - the commercial farms import for their own use only. The local keepers all feed their chickens on scraps plus grated coconut and when the animal feed unit was operating, a type of feed made up in part of fish. One of the main reasons for me to get my own chickens was because the eggs I was using tasted 'fishy'! Anyway, my chickens seem to be doing very well, I am s o pleased that onions are good for them, alas no eggs yet - the eggs I feed them are locally purchased. Will try the spaghetti. Glad to see I am not the only one 'spoiling' my chickens 07

 

[tygrysek75]

Sometimes I do give them coconut(halved) hung on the string-they very busy pecking at it and clearing everything up to the shell.They also have spinach(wich they love)and other greens.I put also the grass(chopped )inside bird feeder(the one which you use for peanuts) and they can pull this during the day and not ruining with they feet!Pumpking is another treat which you can give halved and they can help them self with it.Few plants are very poisonus for them like rhurbarb,ivy,avocado.Citrus fruits also not recomender for them.