[Casey76]

I have to say I'm pretty surprised at how often, or how much of the diet is made up of "treats" (by treats I mean anything other than pellets or greens - or straights if you mix your own feed).

My girls (6 laying hens, though currently 1 broody) get a cup full of grain between them a couple of times a week.  I'm afraid it wouldn't cross my mind to do it more often.  It's just like I wouldn't give my horse apples or carrots every day, not would I give my cats minced beef or milk every day... maybe I'm just a mean b*gger!

So I'm just curious as to how often people go give thir birds treats

[joyfull]

I must be a soft touch as mine get treats every day except for when I worm them   

[Ice]

Every day at the moment as they are traumatised and quite unhappy.  I didn't realise just how much of a bully my hen that just died was.

[Chablis Dog]

Sorry, have to put my hand up to being a right softy too.  Every day.  I even buy cheap tins of sweetcorn for them which they just adore.  I don't give them this every day but about three times a week.  Later in the year though I will be able to get this for free from the maize grown by a farmer on our land, so it won't count then will it??? (he won't notice if I snaffle a few).  However I am still finding out what they like.  Their disgruntled expressions when I fetch up sans treats is just so funny too.  Who knew they would have such characters???

[TeaPots]

Same as Joy, I scatter a teeny bit of corn/maize every day when I collect the eggs. I tell them how good they are, thank or encourage them, and the corn is scattered so they can run off and scratch about. Its a very stingey amount most of the year, but I give a decent meal of it just before bedtime in the winter.

[cheriton]

I have been giving the girls a handful of corn/maize before bed since I got them 5 weeks ago,   but did buy some mealworms last week and have put a teaspoon of those in with the corn too.

I just remembered I have given them vegetarian worms (spaghetti)  as when i put a worm in the run I felt so bad when it got pecked up I haven't had the heart to do it
again
Chablis Dog - the tinned sweetcorn  seems a good idea- as long as it doesnt upset them lol

[Sopho]

We all love our chooks but if the layers pellets are all they are cracked up to be then other food stuffs aren't essential.
However we love them... and we put human characteristics onto them, i.e. we love a glass of wine, bar of chocolate or cream cake as a treat so therefore our chooks love their corn, cabbage, mealworms!

mine get left over lettuce/salad stuff, corn or someother treat once or twice a week... mainly to get rid of waste and to give the choks a range of food!!

Sopho

[GrannieAnnie]

Not very often, some days they will get a handful of corn (wheat) each, and occasionally a cabbage or similar to play with and the odd bit of leftover veg, but otherwise, they have their pellets which are a nice balanced diet for them!

[Flowerpower136]

A scoop of corn every afternoon, or occasionly a tin of sweet corn, which is gone before it even hits the floor!
This weekend they demolished a cabbage.

[hillfooter]

I must say it varies a lot.  I usualy give then a small handful of Spillers Poultry Corn no more than 3 three times a week,  You can judge how much as last year I bought 2X 20kg bags against 50+  20kg bags of layers.  I also give them household scraps such as cooked potato pealings or green veg/ lettice or anything salad such as tomatoes leftovers.  Anything with seeds in such as peppers or melons they like.  Occasionally boiled rice or very occasionally leftover pasta.  I never buy treats for them.   

The most popular treats I ever gave them were horse treats which were a sort of museuli bar.   Clare, my daughter, brought home a couple of boxes of them which were almost passed their sell by date and had flopped in the horse market.  There was around 4doz bars in each which were a mix of nuts, carrot and crunchy grains in a molasses toffee.   The horses weren't too keen on them but I was quite partial and the chickens would practically mug me if I went to them carrying a couple of bars.  They were quite nice I thought and kept me very regular! The chickens picked out and rejected the carrot!!  The other very occasional treats are leftover curry (without any meat).  I organise a 3 monthly boys curry night (about 40 of us) and the  restaurant knows to make up a 'doggie bag' of leftover rice, veg, popadoms and naans.  The boys know to leave the chx some for the next day.  It's a sort of running joke!.

HF

[LittleRedHen]

Our hens get layer mash in the morning with a few peas or corn mixed in, or raisins.  They always get chopped up spinach leaves in the afternoon, as they have eaten all of grass in our garden and there is no other source of greens stuff for them.  They have grain in the afternoon too.  They're very spoiled.  Fabulous eggs, bless them.