UCP Episode 055: Listeners Q and A Session #4 – Understanding Sex-Links, Bad Broodies & Plants Toxic to the Flock

Backyard Garden with Chickens

Backyard Garden with Chickens

Today on the Urban Chicken Podcast, I answer more chicken questions posed by listeners in Session #4 of Listeners’ Q & A series.  The chicken issues being discussed and considered in this session are: 1) understanding “sex-link” chickens; 2) dealing with a bad broody hen; and 3) learning which common yard and house plants are toxic to feed to your flock.

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UCP Blog 016: List of Plants Toxic to Chickens

The chickens have been busy weeding

Many of these poisonous plants are found in the average home and yard. These plants have different levels of toxicity – some can be nibbled on in small quantities with little or no harmful effects. When allowed to free-range, chickens are usually smart enough to avoid eating these toxic plants, so you don’t need to go and rip them out from your yard immediately in order to protect your flock.  However, you do need to be mindful that you are not trying to feed these plants to your birds particularly (e.g. putting cuttings of these plants in the flock’s run where they are locked up and might feel compelled to eat these dangerous plants.

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UCP Episode 048 – Fermenting Chicken Feeds the Right Way!

 

Swedish Flower Hens eating fermented feed - photo courtesy of Leigh Edwards

Swedish Flower Hens eating fermented feed – photo courtesy of Leigh Edwards

Fermenting certain foods is a very traditional method of food preservation and also enhancing nutrition.  When it comes to feeding our backyard flock, fermentation is an excellent method to improve the diet and health of our flock through improving the gut chemistry of our birds.

Today’s guests on the Urban Chicken Podcast are Leigh Edwards and Sue Strantz – both experts in holistic, natural chicken keeping.  Leigh and Sue join me on the show to discuss all of the ins and outs of how to properly ferment various types of chicken feed.   Continue reading

UCP Blog 003: On-going Study of Chicken Treats — What They Like and Dislike

Coco Chicken in the Kitchen - photo by Jen Pitino

Coco Chicken in the Kitchen – photo by Jen Pitino

So you want to give your backyard flock a little treat and use up some of the leftovers that are about to go south.  I have been experimenting with my chickens (Frida, Amelia, Beatrix and Coco) to see what they will and won’t eat.

Generally speaking, my hens live for treats.  They are so pushy about treats that they will stand at my backdoor and cry at me until I find something in the fridge to share with them.  Little Coco and Beatrix are getting even so bold as to come inside my house in the back landing area to yell for treats at me.  Though they love treats, they will not eat treats indiscriminately – they’re a bit picky.  My hens know what they like and what they don’t like.

Here is a list (not exhaustive) of some of the things I’ve tried feeding my chickens as treats and their reactions to the food items:

  1. Apples – Gala/Fuji Varieties (chopped into small pieces) = Not a favorite
  2. Apples – Granny Smith (chopped into small pieces) = Didn’t like
  3. Apricots (fresh, cut in half) = So-so
  4. Bacon Grease (cold and solid) = Liked, but seemed annoyed by the messiness of it – kept wiping off their beaks
  5. Bagels (blueberry and plain) = Ate some of it
  6. Baloney = Loved it
  7. Blackberries (fresh) = Liked a lot
  8. Blueberries (fresh) = LOVED it (great to use when teaching tricks as reward treat)
  9. Bread (garlic bread – stale) = Didn’t like
  10. Bread (wheat with whole grains/seeds in it) = Ate
  11. Bread (wheat slice with cold bacon grease spread on it) = Liked it
  12. Bread (white/french) = Didn’t like, but ate a little
  13. Bread Crumbs (dry, white bread) = Didn’t Like
  14. Buffalo (ground meat – cooked of course) = LOVED
  15. Burger (beef meat patty, cooked of course) = LOVED
  16. Broccoli (boiled) = Ate it
  17. Broccoli (raw) = Hated it
  18. Cabbage Green (raw) = Liked a lot
  19. Cabbage Purple (raw) = Liked it
  20. Cauliflower (boiled) Ate it
  21. Cat Food (dried variety) = LOVED it
  22. Carrot Peels = Didn’t like
  23. Carrot Tops = Ate some
  24. Celery (raw) Hated it
  25. Cheese, Babybel wedges (i.e. soft cream cheese) = Didn’t like
  26. Cheese, Blue Cheese Brie (i.e. soft with blue in it) = So-So
  27. Cheese, Cheddar (cut in small cubes) = LOVED
  28. Cheese, Gouda (smoked) = So-So
  29. Cheese, Gouda (aged/hard) = So-So
  30. Cheese, String Variety = LOVED and chased each other around the coop over it
  31. Cherries, Bing Variety = Liked
  32. Cherries, Nanking Variety = LOVED
  33. Cherry Tomatoes (whole, raw) = Ate
  34. Coconut (dried, shredded, slightly sweetened) = Ate some
  35. Corn on the Cob (uncooked) = Liked
  36. Cracker – Trisket variety = Didn’t like
  37. Cucumber Peels = Didn’t like
  38. Cucumbers Whole (cut lengthwise down middle) = LOVED
  39. Dried Dates (sugared) = Don’t Like
  40. Fruit Cocktail (awful stuff in sugary syrup) = Hated, would eat any of it
  41. Ham (honey-baked lunchmeat) = Liked a lot
  42. Kale (fresh) = Liked a lot
  43. Lamb (lamb bone with meat attached — cooked of course) = LOVED
  44. Lemonbalm (fresh plant) = LOVED
  45. Lettuce (iceburg) = Liked a lot
  46. Lettuce (mesculin – baby variety mix) = Liked a lot
  47. Lettuce (red leaf) = Don’t Like
  48. Lettuce (romaine) = Liked a lot
  49. Marshmallows = Didn’t Like
  50. Meusli  = Ate some of and ignored the rest
  51. Nectarines (fresh, cut in half) = Didn’t like
  52. Oatmeal (cooked and slightly sweetened b/c leftovers from my breakfast) = Liked
  53. Oregano (fresh on the stem) = LOVED
  54. Papaya (dried chunks) = Didn’t like
  55. Parsley (fresh, curly variety) = Liked
  56. Peaches (fresh, cut in half) = Didn’t like
  57. Pears (home canned in syrup) = HATED it
  58. Pine nuts (stale, whole) = Didn’t like, wouldn’t even try it
  59. Plums (fresh, cut in half) = Didn’t like
  60. Popcorn (bagged/light salt) = Didn’t Like
  61. Potatoes (mashed) = Ate a little
  62. Quinoa (cooked with seasoning) = Didn’t Like
  63. Raisins = Didn’t like
  64. Raw Pumpkin broken open = hated it – ground it into bottom of coop making a complete freaking mess of it
  65. Red Currants (fresh off the plant) = LOVED (this is chicken crack)
  66. Rice (steamed brown) = Liked
  67. Rice – Chinese/Fried Variety = Liked
  68. Salami (spicy) = Didn’t like it  (ate a little bit)
  69. Salmon (Grilled with lemon and dill) = Like (meat) Didn’t Like (fish skin)
  70. Sandwich (ham/swiss/lettuce/Mayo) = Liked
  71. Sandwich (club variety) = Liked
  72. Sandwich (American cheese slice on a burger bun) = Liked A lot (this sad excuse of a sandwich)
  73. Sardines (in oil – canned) = Ate some, not thrilled
  74. Spaghetti (cooked) = Liked a lot — I think they liked the wormlike appearance
  75. Spinach (fresh) = Liked a lot
  76. Spinach (boiled) = Didn’t like
  77. Summer Squash (raw, cut lengthwise in quarters and then partially cut to make easier to eat off of the rind) = LOVED (when a squash had grown too big for human consumption) Didn’t Like (when squash was normal sized)
  78. Steak fat/grizzle (cooked of course, and cut into small cubes) = LOVED – climbed all over me to get to the meat!
  79. Strawberries = LOVED
  80. Tater tots (sweet potato variety) = So-So
  81. Tortillas (wheat flour variety) = Ate
  82. Veggie Stix (puffed, veggie chip) = Ate some — seemed more interested in shape than taste
  83. Watermelon = LOVED
  84. Yougurt (greek, plain, unsweetened) = not a favorite
  85. Zuccinni (LARGE-too big for human consumption, Raw, Cut lengthwise in quarters, and slightly sliced while still attached to make easier to eat off rind) = LOVED
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