Hi there, since three days I have 3 brown shavers, approx. 24 weeks old, which i bought from a free range farm.They are lovely chooks but seem to have no idea about eating fruit and veges. I heard that chickens love silverbeet and as such offered it to them both on the ground and hanging from their enclosure -they did not go for it, neither did they go for salad or apple/ strawberry mash. Even when they are in my vege garden they do seem to leave my plants with peace. They are happy with pellets and love scratching the ground. Anyone has an idea how I can get them to like their fruit and vege's :-)?
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Hi Silja, Cook it, they will love it. because they are not used to free range food, it can take them a bit of time to get the idea, so I cooked up Mince in the fry pan with curry and or chillies, garlic its all good for them and they love it, the smell of a home cooked meal can win over anyone, even your chooks. just wait until its cooled down abit because they will go ferocus for it once they have tasted it and they will burn themselves eating to quickly when they smell how yummy it is! I also scatter layer feed around the grass and it gets them started looking for it. Its just that they have had it suppilyed in one spot and at ground level, I have lots of different chickens in my back yard but it is the mainge brown shavers that are the most fun they are so cute, they come and knock on my door if Im late to feed then (1Min) then they go around to the back door and knock if I didn't come out, they have to dig the very same spot as you are digging and eat the very same worms you are putting in the garden. they follow you around like they are puppy dogs and they love to come in the house to be with you. They all know there name and they know you are talking to them and they wont talk to you if you call them by the wrong name. there favourite place is standing on your foot or sitting on your shoulder. I love my chooks.
Hunger!!! is the mother of every food broadening!!!
You can also try that with your dog, your children, your partner and your mother in law if you have one.
Thanks Janet and Gary. They seem to like my home made muesli and the neighbours cooked veges. They may even have eaten the fresh veges I gave them today -I will have a closer look at their eating habits over the next few weeks when I am home.
I think its still early days. Mine took quite a while to come around to anything other than pellets and mash. Mine love sultanas, cucumbers cut in half, bits of meat, courgettes cut in half and lettuce (they are not keen on broccoli or silverbeet)- I just biffed it into there run and left it and they did come around to it slowly. They like an apple when cut in half - mine are not keen on things hanging even it they like it :-)
My next door neigbours brown shavers eat almost everything all the time - so there is hope :-) Part of me is jealous that yours don't destroy your veggie plot - if mine were like that they could be completely free range - ah well.
Hope this helps
J
Stop feeding them pellets, well not at every meal time. Give them a variety of food choices, mine love spaggetti and it was one of the first new foods they took to as I guess the noodles look like worms. Bananas seem to have a good take up rate with my girls, although they were a little suspicious at first. Apples and rice are great as well.
Good luck.