What can't hens eat?

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What can't hens eat?
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Bodrighy

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 2157
Location: Near Devizes

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 10:16 am Post subject: What can't hens eat?

Is there anything that chickens can't or shouldn't eat? I know they are omnivorous and that they shouldn't be given raw or perhaps cooked meat but is there anything else that they shouldn't be given We want them to be as organic as possible and have access to organic pellets from a local farmer who buys it by the ton. (She let's us have a 20kg bag for a tenner) At the moment they seem happy enough demolishing the weeds and plants in the run and no doubt snaffling a few bugs on the way. I'm experimenting to find out if there is anything that they go mad for so I can use it as a bribe if (when) they get out or are allowed in the garden.

They sem to be doing OK so far. We were told we would probably only get eggs every other day as they are older hens but have had 5 in three days so farso I guess we are doing something right.

Pete

Pete

bibbster

Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 1233
Location: Just a bit inland from Aberaeron

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 10:19 am Post subject:
Don't give them chocolate

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 10:21 am Post subject:
Nothing that has been prepared in a domestic or commercial kitchen, for a start. Though quite where the law stands on them helping themselves, I'm not sure... Yesterday, as dpack made the cup of tea, head breakfast stealer took it upon herself to taste his cuppa

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 10:32 am Post subject:
Don't let them get access to avocado - the stones are very poisonous. If you want to be able to tempt them back into the run give them an afternoon feed of corn in the run. Give it a week or two and the rattling of a container with some corn in it will have them legging it back in.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 10:32 am Post subject:
Foot balls. They can't swallow them whole.

TheGrange

Joined: 12 Apr 2009
Posts: 874

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 10:36 am Post subject:
mine go mental after polystyrene ... anyone would think they have found the holy grail of food stuff, we saw them legigng it at full pelt across the fields chasing after the leader with her beak firmly clasping a piece of packaging that had been kindly left by the bin men! i doubt its very healthy for them

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 11:13 am Post subject:
No avocado, no salt.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 11:19 am Post subject:
All hens love polystyrene for some reason, and it seems to go straight through and come out the other end, leaving them no worse for wear. They love yoghurt

mousjoos

Joined: 05 Jun 2006
Posts: 1986
Location: VERY Sunny SW France

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 11:20 am Post subject:
Peas in a tin

Blue Peter

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 2400
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 11:34 am Post subject:

Bebo wrote:

Don't let them get access to avocado - the stones are very poisonous.

I'm not very well up on chickens, and so perhaps don't appreciate the size of their mouths, ,but is there anyway on God's earth in which a chicken could knock back an avocado stone?

Peter.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 11:40 am Post subject:

As you can't feed them kitchen scraps anymore it's shouldn't be a problem but when it was legal care should be taken not to give them too much salt.

AFAIK it's still fine to give them something like a dead rabbit as long as it hasn't entered the human food chain, i.e. it 's not entered the kitchen etc.

I've also heard of avocado being poisonous and I'd take care with things like yew berries as chickens grind their food so the toxins in the pips will be released.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 11:48 am Post subject:

mousjoos wrote:

Peas in a tin

That is one well trained chicken!

goldy1

Joined: 17 Sep 2006
Posts: 729

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 1:23 pm Post subject:
I was at a camping meet last weekend and there was a party for a 65th birthday going on. the farmers chickens thought it was Christmas in and out of peoples legs picking up the scraps. they loved the pizza.

bibbster

Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 1233
Location: Just a bit inland from Aberaeron

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 1:55 pm Post subject:
they will also eat the cats food given less than half a chance

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Fri May 08, 09 2:37 pm Post subject:
They are very partial to dog poo if you don't get it scooped up first

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