[lizt]

hi,

my three girls have eaten all the greenery in the garden (mint, ruhbarb, grass, last of the salads and i am worried they will get bored what i can give them or grow over the winter so they have something to peck at and keep amused?

i have tried given them cabbage and other veg and even the odd human food ie pasta and they have ignored it... i think they have been spoiled for choice but now there is nothing left

any ideas?

[symonep]

Oh dear! ours once ate the complete lawn and i mean every blade of grass!
Have you tried cutting a pumpkin in half and things like squashes and courgettes, they scoop the flesh out.
You can also add hot water to their layers in a bowl and it turns into like a porridge which they also love.
You will just have to try things and see what they like, ours are all pumpkined out and wont eat it now but we will give it a week and they will be back into it

[splash101]

sometimes it takes them a few tries of something before they get the taste for it. Mine never used to touch cabbages but now they do.

It might be that because they've had what they like, they have turned their noses up at the other things but as there will be less choice over winter they may come around.

They will still scratch around looking for morsels.

mine pretty much eat anything.
Bananas - skin removed, apples, pineapple, melon, grapes, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, celery, corn on the cob.
they dont eat carrots or peppers

ours share the fruit and veg with our aviary birds. Their food storeroom looks better than ours sometime

im sure the list will grow as others add things of what their chickens eat

[ANHBUC]

Sure I have read on here that rhubarb is really bad for them.   

[splash101]

ANHBUC thats right, the rhubarb leaves are not good for them, dont think they are good for humans either  :blink:

[grinling]

mine don't eat savoy cabbage, but love spring cabbage. Also have swiss chard and spinach in polytunnel.

[nerdle]

Oh dear - sounds like plague of henny locusts!
Mine likes just pecking at leaves - not eating them just pecking.  She also loves a mirror I got from the tip - pecks it for at least a couple of hours a day.  She pecks my big window if she can get to it - drives us mad.

[lizt]

hi all
the grass has all gone, what with the weather and the hens the back garden turned into a muddy mess, i got some bark/wood chip in hope it'll soak up the excess water which the hens enjoyed scratching about.

there has been half a cabbage kicking about for weeks, they haven't bothered about it but i cooked some rice and spaghetti which they did gobble down, i'll just keep trying different food and see.

will have to grow extra stuff for them next year!

[kebi]

i put peeled apple and  whole tomato in a bird feeder hanging at chicken height they love pecking it and it keeps them busy for ages, only ever apple core left at bed time. also i hang greens mine now eat it or at least throw it on the floor in pieces.

[lizt]

i've tried them with some cooked rice and spaghetti and they have eaten it! 
still ignoring cabbage, pumpkin but will still keep giving them different bits.