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Chicken keepers

Meet others keeping chickens on our Mumsnet Chicken forum.

What do you feed your hens for a treat?

17 replies

cadelaide · 06/11/2011 09:39

I'm nursing a poorly hen who needs cheering up. Smile

OP posts:
SecretSquirrel193 · 06/11/2011 09:42

i got mine mealworms and one memorable occasion some live crickets.. They also used to love warm porridge made with water

Daveschooks · 06/11/2011 10:10

If she's poorly try live mealworms. They have more protein in than dried.
Pets at home do them.

twinklytroll · 06/11/2011 13:31

We do worms as a treat as well, from pets at home

MissBeehiving · 06/11/2011 21:45

Catfood
Hard boiled egg mixed with codliver oil and vit powder

hiddenhome · 09/11/2011 19:54

Catfood is great for picking them up.

Mine also enjoy frozen sweetcorn - boiled, of course.
Couscous with raisins
Porridge made with water - raisins added to that too
They also love homemade curry and rice (no added salt) Grin

daftwit · 12/11/2011 21:47

My ladies (3 of them ) love to demolish a whole iceberg lettuce, thrown in their run, also gives them a game of footie Grin

Dee03 · 12/11/2011 21:57

My 3 ladies Edith, Phylis and Rihanna also love a whole lettuce...or a cabbage and also porridge made with water.....
Going to try sweetcorn as something different tho Smile

greatdanelady · 06/12/2011 22:23

warm mash potato, sweet corn and even got the dustbin during the summer full of maggots and turned it on its side and they had a feast.

MunchingNoPickles · 09/12/2011 15:27

Dethawed frozen peas

Dried mealworms

Cooked pulses

Chips

mistlethrush · 09/12/2011 15:28

earwigs

OrmIrian · 09/12/2011 15:30

Pasta. Well I don't as i don't have any hens Sad But my friend does. She always cooks some ready for DS2 to give them when we visit her.

i remember finding it v funny when i was a child to make the hens 'bob for peas' - ie bowl of water with peas floating in it Grin Much splashing and irritated squawks.... but that might be a bit mean

catsrus · 10/12/2011 20:24

pasta - especially spaghetti - they behave as if you've given them a plate full of worms :-) I think the shape makes some primitive "worm response" kick in :-)

MrsvWoolf · 11/12/2011 15:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NanaJen1 · 22/12/2011 09:59

My 6 hens get spoilt regularly with apples, raw cabbage leaves, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower and watercress but they particularly love chopped up raw leeks (these are good for building up their immune systems in winter). They also love porridge (made with water) and spaghetti (chopped to look like worms) which they absolutely love. In the summer they love dandelion leaves, clover & dock leaves - all gathered for free, of course.

They always get their '5 a day' as well as organic chook feed. They are very healthy & happy and are still rewarding me with 6 truly free range eggs every day!

TBF1 · 16/02/2012 13:33

Cous cous
Spaghetti (mostly for comedy value)
Whole heads of broccoli hanging on strings from the roof
Rotten logs crawling in bugs, whenever we happen to find them, provide hours of fun for our chooks
Sunflower seed hearts for poorly chooks

I'm going to have to try the lettuce football and pea-bobbing now too! Grin

nickelDorritt · 17/02/2012 13:23

don't boil the sweetcorn hiddenhome Shock
you'll get rid of all the goodness.
it'll defrost within minutes.

jujubean · 20/02/2012 22:17

A chicken lovin neighbour said they adore shelled sunflower seeds (from bird food section at garden centre) and also cheddar cheese. I've tried the cheddar cheese cut into 0.5cm sized cubes and they do love it. After only living with us for a week they even ventured as far as my hand to get a bit more.

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