Fussy

[Crundy]

Hmm, my hens seem to have become a bit fussy with their treats. I suspect they may have become sweetcorn addicts. I put in some halved grapes which they pecked at a bit and then wandered back to stare at me. Tried some bread, nothing. Even sultanas have been left to rot. And yet if I hold out a handful of sweetcorn it vanishes within seconds along with a few fingers and some palm flesh.

Am I spoiling them a bit?

[maytreefrannie]

Crundy, you're certainly pampering those hens - in fact, you've given me a good idea.

You know there's a recession on? Well, I've been thinking your house would make a good holiday destination - all the best treats and plenty of them!

Glad to see you're enjoying your chickens - I used to keep them years ago and I still enjoy reading the chicken threads here.

[Crundy]

Hehe. You want a handful of green giant sweetcorn too?

I can't help pampering them. They're cute!

[Flummery]

It's hard not to spoil them isn't it? Mine go mad for greens of any description. I tend to look upon this as good for them rather than a treat? They do like sweetcorn and mealworms too though they only get them every few days (Mummy's mean!) They get grapes regularly too and nearly have me hand off for them. Mine weren't interested in them the first time but are now voracious. They weren't struck on raisins either - must try those again.

[Crundy]

As far as greens go, I've tried to feed them broccoli (to get some nice deep yellow yolks) but they wern't interested. Do you have to cook and cool them first?

P.S. Got another egg today

[Flummery]

(Smug-mode Alert!) Got 4 eggs today - from 4 hybrid pullets! Only 2 yesterday but 4 the day before that. It's usually 3.

I give them fresh greens Crundy. They love the leaves from the bottom of the broccoli, chard leaves, dandelion leaves (though they think the flowers are umpty!) and dock leaves too. They will also have your hand off for a bit of lettuce although I seem to remember reading ages ago that lettuce isn't all that good for them. So I don't give them loads. No idea why.

[Crundy]

Nice! I did want to get 3 birds, but we settled for 2 in the end, as were worried about the run size.

I'll try them again with fresh greens, but I have just bought a tin of no added sugar or salt sweetcorn, so if I don't post on here by tomorrow then you know I've been killed by the chooks.

Lettuce is bad for just about every animal, especially iceberg lettuce. The problem is that it bloats them and has almost no nutrients in it at all. I think you can give them a little bit, but not often.

[Hans Mum]

8eggs from 8 girls today first time thats happened....mine love broccoli but not cooked,
& the first bag of corn i got was split corn and the bag i got a couple of weeks ago was whole corn, the first couple of times they turned their beaks up at it now they're back to taking my fingers off.

[Squizz]

Must be something in the air, I got 4 eggs from 4 girls today, that's a first for me too! About the fussy hens, mine have turned their beaks up at everything I've offered except for slugs and mealworms although one of my girls tried to eat my engagement ring!

[Crundy]

Yes, they do have a peck at my wedding ring occasionally.

When I go to take the pin out of the door Mabel has now taken to jumping in the air and trying to peck my hand. I just gave them a handful of sweetcorn and my hand is still sore.

[Flummery]

Mine jump me too! If I don't but the food down fast enough they fly up to grab whatever I've got in my hand.

[Crundy]

I really should video me giving them some corn. Bloody scary!

I think the poor things are pining for some grass. The run area is just brown grass and moss now, and I can't let them out yet as they haven't been kept in long enough. When I last opened the door and gave them some torn spinach they wondered out of the run and started pecking at the lush green grass just ouside the door

They're getting moved on either friday or saturday and can come out then, so they should be a bit happier

[Bephlam]

I give mine the last wee bit of the lettuce...rather than throw it in the bin. They get all sorts of other treats..but frozen sweetcorn (obviously I heat it up), spinach and cabbage is their absolute favourite!

[Flummery]

You spoil yours Beph - I don't heat the frozen corn, I just let it thaw out - then run for me life because they gang up and mug me for it!

[Crundy]

Crikey o'blimey
They are so damn fussy. One of them likes a bit of spinach, and that's it. Just the sweetcorn. And I had to throw away their last opened tin because the damn fridge freezer broke down and I lost the entire contents of the freezer and the fridge!

But on a plus note I did let them free range for a bit today. Although I had to keep them away from the strawberry plants because they kept ripping the leaves off.