[Moby1]

How do you get chickens interested in greens? mine will eat mash and corn, but don't pay any interest in anything hung up - cabbage, broccoli, lettuce , celery.

[Selkie]

hi,

mine seem to be a bit wary of things hanging up for them, so i just leave stuff on the ground for them to peck at -- they went bonkers over a cucumber i'd split in two the other day!

i think my hens are lacking in the intelligence department (they're lovely and i wouldn't change them but they're not the brightest :idea: ) -- they don't like perching either...

[chickychick]

I am new to chickens only had em a couple of months however I have discovered that if I want em to eat something like greens that they dont fancy I use the same phsychology I used for other creatures.

I give tit bits they love like corn by hand very sparingly in the late afternoon as if its treat time, once they get used to treat time I start giving little bits of greens like little bits of dandelion leaves, they will fight to be first in, that way you can get em to want what you want them to want.   I have found this works with my chickens so far even if they wont try something and they have taken everything I have done this with.

Of course you are not stuck feeding by hand.  Once they know they like something they will just gobble it up

I think its natural to be caustious of new greens cause they have to know its not poisonous so will just try a bit until they are sure it wont make them ill

[muntjac]

are your birds in pens or able to roam moby .this helps straight away the birds get to know whats good and bad .try chopping up cabbage real small and mixing it in the feed .also as the ladies say do that .another trick is to not feed them for a day and just leave greens in the feeders ,lettuce is a good starter along with dandelions ......oh yehhhhh dandelions again  :roll:  chop em up small and just elt em decide when they wanan eat em  

 and i think the stupid chicken thing is them you lulling you into a false sense security  rosemary    

[Moby1]

Thanks all, great advice, going to try it all out. They eat a lot of fresh grass, as their run is moved each day, but would like them to use the good kitchen scraps up. hoping to have some lovely yellow eggs soon!

[babe]

   

great post - but i am now thinking that my chooks are just greedy , they'll eat anything.

i wouldnt dare go into their garden empty handed, or i'd be seriously snubbed. and dont think about hiding any veg or salad in my pockets --- they will help themselves. much to neighbours amusement.

i did try hanging up a sweetcorn once, by the time id fussed about in a whirl of flapping wings and pecking beaks, all id got hanging was a bare cob.

[agapanthus]

   

great post - but i am now thinking that my chooks are just greedy , they'll eat anything.

i wouldnt dare go into their garden empty handed, or i'd be seriously snubbed. and dont think about hiding any veg or salad in my pockets --- they will help themselves. much to neighbours amusement.

i did try hanging up a sweetcorn once, by the time id fussed about in a whirl of flapping wings and pecking beaks, all id got hanging was a bare cob.

     I can just see it!!!  

[Kazoo]

Not sure if age has anything to do with it but my Black Rocks refused anything green apart from dandelion leaves up until just a few weeks ago (they are about 8 months old now).  I persevered with offering various veg (always well chopped up) and now they are slowly starting to eat a larger variety.  Just one of them that still has no interest but all their eggs are orange yolked so I guess they are getting a good enough diet on their layers mash.