# Treats or additions to daily feed



## Rachael (Jun 29, 2012)

Hi 

My hens love mozzarella cheese, broccoli, grapes, strawberries and cut &grow lettuce. I was wondering what other people fed their chickens as treats oras an addition to their daily feed.


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

mine like lettuce, but the favorite is dried mealworms which i give them in the evening, ive only got to shake the bag and they come running,


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

Most anything from the garden ...


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Watermelon and corn on the cob.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I give all scraps from dinner or what the kids dont eat. I also give left over worms from fishing and minnows. We did meal worms at one point but at $6 a bag it was getting to expensive.


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## ChookChic (Jun 29, 2012)

Love ham and bacon fat!!! Go absolutely nuts - but they also get the vege scraps to dig around in, dried corn and are provided with an endless supply of pellets to help themselves to. And I often see them chasing a fly or bug or something ...


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

ChookChic said:


> Love ham and bacon fat!!! Go absolutely nuts - but they also get the vege scraps to dig around in, dried corn and are provided with an endless supply of pellets to help themselves to. And I often see them chasing a fly or bug or something ...


my lisht sussex is fab at catching flies.


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## viejachula1 (Jul 1, 2012)

I pick strawberries from my patch, and toss them to my chickens. It is so funny to watch the pecking order, or to see who is the greedy one. I have noticed how my rooster picks up the treat and drops it several times until one of my five hens sees and grabs it! I even have the biggest one hopping up to get it from my hand, since the smaller girls always take them from her. I have even seen them take treats from my lab's mouth!


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## Jennibobs (Jun 29, 2012)

my neighbour passes slugs and snails through the fence to my girls, they go running over every time they hear her in the garden now!


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## jhfamily5 (Jul 11, 2012)

Snails can carry gapeworms which are very dangerous to chickens. I know they love them, but they can get very ill and die from them. I just learned that recently. I would never have thought any bugs would be harmful for chickens to eat so I thought I had better pass that on.


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Watermelon, cantaloupe, squash, all kitchen scraps.. And a handful of red wigglers every once in a while..


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## ChubbyChicken (Jul 2, 2012)

It's cherry season here. I am thinking of driving over the pass to Yakima, WA to find b grade cherries to feed to my birds. Has anyone heard about cherries naturally worming birds? Theres a lady on another forum that claims it works for her.


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## denise (Jul 18, 2012)

Mealworms, black oil sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, strawberries, watermelon, fresh corn on the cob, lettuce, frozen peas or corn, tomatoes, baby carrots, cucumbers and spaghetti noodles! There really isn't much they don't see as a treat!


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## MeHimand5ofThem (Jul 18, 2012)

My girls are eating like queens since we started harvesting from the garden, They especially love tomatoes and strawberries. They go nuts over oatmeal and they love raisins too. Here is a pic of them enjoying a diced up apple (I took the core and seeds out)









And bugs.. boy do they like to eat bugs!


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## les (Jul 19, 2012)

Do you feed them meat


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Nice pic.. I have 2 EE that are identical to the 2 in the upper left corner.. Twins !!


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Not the best pics..


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## thechickenplace (Jul 18, 2012)

My girls love love love dried meal worms but they also love to help themselves to the garden. When its hot out...cold apples and watermelons help keep our girls cool!!


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## bevie55 (Jul 4, 2012)

Minature marshmallows are their favorite.


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## crossbonesdennis (Jul 12, 2012)

Around here, If you go to the garden, you better bring them back something or you're going to get squaked at by a group of unhappy chickens.

They like cherry toamtoes, butternut squash and other veggies.

Their favorite is "Chicken Crack" as my wife calls it- Dried mealworms.


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## craziegrannie (Jun 28, 2012)

Since mine are free ranged they raid the local farm fields. However, I collect scrapes of vegetables. Right now they get the rinds of watermelons and cantaloupes and their seeds. They catch bugs and toads too. The seem to love them. When our income was larger I would give them some sunflower seed and cracked corn for a treat. They really loved that. When the persimmons are ripe they eat those too. I have to get my share before I let them out or I don't get any for my use.


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## MeHimand5ofThem (Jul 18, 2012)

cogburn said:


> Not the best pics..


Wow!!! They really could be twins!!! I bought them as Aracaunas but soon discovered I had been had, oh well you live and learn, they are still great birds... cant wait for those blue/green eggs!!!


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## viejachula1 (Jul 1, 2012)

My chickens like bits of leftover grilled chicken so we take it out and watch them go crazy! Fully cooked of course - protein. they also like cold cooked barley, applesauce, and home made "bird muffins" that are just Jiffy cornbread with a can of mixed veggies drained and added. You can make them up and freeze them, and then warm them for about a half minute or so to give them a nice treat on those cold mornings... Or leave it frozen, and they will devour it before it thaws in this heat!


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## Riverdale (Jun 23, 2012)

Oatmeal, with fruit in it.

Pasta.

Banana peels .

We have one Leghorn that will hang out around the banana peels to catch fruit flies!


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## aussiemum (Jul 22, 2012)

sometimes for a treat i give mine a tin of mushy peas they love that and i notice now they also love beetroot and if im digging in the garden they follow me and find any worms or bugs and ohh i feel so sorry for the grasshoppers they find gone in a flash .


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## laxbro (Jul 4, 2012)

Mine love blueberries and cherrys.


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## JenHen (Jul 22, 2012)

Mine love corn on the cob, we hang it on a string from a post and they get a bit of mental stimulation too!


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## Sandy (Jul 23, 2012)

Mine eat just about any fresh vegetables! They won't touch popcorn or lettuce! But I do raise meal worms and they go crazy for them. In the summer on the hottest days I give them frozen treats. I mix the following with water and freeze in containers - veg. and or fruit scraps, maybe some chopped mint or lemon balm, left over peas or corn, and the innards of cantaloupe with seeds. As the water melts they peck at it and enjoy both the cold water and cold treats. Also when I peel cantaloupe and watermellon I freeze some of the rinds to throw out on hot days.


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## bevie55 (Jul 4, 2012)

How do you raise meal worms? That sounds like something I would like to do.


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## 513 (Jul 9, 2012)

Yep got to agree - Dried Mealworms are top of the list - with cake crumbs coming a close second


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## Sandy (Jul 23, 2012)

It's so easy. Get a container that you can put a lid on, the size depends on how many you want to raise. Drill small holes in the lid, buy meal worms at a bait shop or order on line like I did. I use rolled oats as bedding, they eat the bedding and I also put in a little scratch and a little chicken food for them to eat. I just buy the cheapest largest container of oats and pour about 2" (don't worry about being exact about this they can't measure LOL) and dump in the worms. Now they need moisture, most sites tell you to put in thick sliced or halved potatoes, but I also use broccoli stems and firm vegetables. You have to make sure the vegetables don't mold in there, so you must check every 2-3 days. And what ever you do make sure they have some, I went on vacation and the person watching the chickens forgot to add potatoes during the heat wave and I lost a whole generation of beetles! : / check out the web for pictures and other advice,there is a lot out there, so you have to figure out what will work for you. People say they don't smell, but they do have a earthy dry oaty smell when I have them in the house for the winter. I do not separate my stages like some people say is important, they all get along just fine When I give some to the chicks and ducks I just reach into the corners and grab some worms and oats, they love both


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## thestringbean (Jul 12, 2012)

over here in the uk we arent allowed to feed our chickens kitchen scraps, but i do sly them rice and pasta they love it along with broccoli,kale, spring greens and of course their much loved corn.


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## Stusquatch (Aug 2, 2012)

I use scratch, mostly. Cracked corn. I like to sit on a bench in the backyard and throw the scratch on the ground around my feet. I notice as the chicks get older they begin to trust me more. The older birds seem to know ahead of time and beat me to the bench. I don't handle them, but I want them to know that they are safe in my presence. My youngest son likes how soft their feathers are when they walk around his feet. They are soft. Most of my chickens are Brahmas and Marans.


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## Sandy (Jul 23, 2012)

I read you are not to use scratch in the summer because the corn raises the body temp too much.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

If they are free ranging and have access to clean water I can't imagine corn would be an issue. I think that applies to caged chickens indoors. Am I mistaken?


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## Jeremysbrinkman (Jul 12, 2012)

You guys won't believe this my hens love biscuit dough! Even the ones who run screaming when people are around will take it out of my hand. I just use what is left after making biscuits. So between all of them it is less than a biscuits worth. Do you guys think this is ok and why do they like it so much?


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

It probably reminds them of nice fat worms!


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

Jeremysbrinkman said:


> You guys won't believe this my hens love biscuit dough! Even the ones who run screaming when people are around will take it out of my hand. I just use what is left after making biscuits. So between all of them it is less than a biscuits worth. Do you guys think this is ok and why do they like it so much?


What is that song ... chickens in the bread pan pickin out dough ... That is going to drive me nuts! lol


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA ... Had to look it up. 

He played Fire on the Mountain 
Run boys, run 
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun 
Chicken in a bread pan picking out dough 
Granny does your dog bite 
No child, no

Now it is stuck in my head ...


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## jn4 (Jun 21, 2012)

Sometimes (for personal use only,..and no we dont sell it) we make a certain type of liquid that I wont mention...but the birds love the left over fermented mash.


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