Chickens, and things related

[dooleysm]

Other than what I feed them, I'm not sure what they eat. I let them out to free range quite a bit, every day after work, all day on Wednesdays and Fridays when my wife is home, and all day on the weekends. They rarely stray more than 30 yards from the coop. It is still very common to get ticks around our house.

They are young yet though, and without a dominant rooster, I think they don't like to wander away from the safety of the coop. I'm hoping as they get older and once I get a dominant rooster around, they'll roam a bit more.

I had 3 rows of potatoes that were hit really hard by potato bugs in my garden this year, killed probably 25% of the plants. I'm hopeful that the guineas will solve this problem next year. I coaxed the chickens out there a few times, and they were not at all interested in eating the potato bugs.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Hens were out in the run the other day and one dug so far down that she found a worm. OMG, you would of thought the bridge club had run out of peanuts there was such a ruckus!!

 

[PineRidge]

Shaun if the hens do take a liking to the potato beetles that would be a real plus. Seems this is the 1st year we've had them pretty bad also.

We're still working on our coop but with two low strands of charged wire around the garden it might be a good way to corral the hens that are soon to come, then they might get the idea to feed on the insects quicker.

 

[dooleysm]

The potato bugs seem to be done inflicting damage. They just showed up and ravaged my first planting of potatoes. I planted a second batch about 150' away 6 weeks after the first and had very few bugs on them. That stand is looking beautiful.

I was out picking cucumbers last night. There were several that we missed in the last picking that were way too big for making pickles, so I cut them up and fed them to the chickens. They ate every bit of them down to the skins. Darn cheap chicken food. I was thinking about setting up at the farmer's market to sell some of my extra produce. I think now it'll be alot quicker, easier, and cost effective to just throw it to the chickens. It'll save me the hassle of dragging all the produce into town and spending a Saturday morning selling it.

 

[PineRidge]

Huh, I didn't realize that chickens would eat most anything offered to them including vegtables. We have a LOT to learn about chickens.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Chickens will eat weeds, seeds, bugs and worms. They have great fun doing it as well. Keeps them out of mischief as well. Heck we even give them coffee grounds, something about waste not and want not. Always crush any egg shells recycled or they may learn to eat the eggs that they lay before you can get to them.

Side note: the dog loves the pea pods after the peas are taken out. Have not given too many at one time, so they are like treats. Rest go to the chickens.

 

[TBDonnelly]

Heck we even give them coffee grounds,

But.........will the chickens taste like one of them gourmet coffee drinks from Starbucks?

Don

 

[PineRidge]

But.........will the chickens taste like one of them gourmet coffee drinks from Starbucks?

Don

I'm not a big advocate of McDonald's food but their coffee is rated higher than Starbuck's by vote. Yes I do drink a lot of their coffee, can we get the birds to taste like that gourmet blend?

 

[Tororider]

I don't think I have ever weeded so much since I was made to as a child by my parents. Every time I head out to the chicken pen I grab a handful of weeds or long grass to give them. With them having a smaller pen, I have to give them as much forage as I can. I have started bagging the grass when I cut it so I can give it to them. Saves on feed costs as far as I can tell.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Used coffee grounds do not seem to have an effect on the taste of eggs or chickens. They seem to do the same things, just a little more alert about it. Usually throw greens in all summer (freeze to freeze) and then when they are locked up for the winter, clean out the run, makes really good compost with little or no weed seeds. They really went for the alfalfa i tossed in!! Any bugs drawn to the run are soon disposed of, keeps them busy and out of michief (kind of like human childeren being kept busy).