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:
- Apples – Gala/Fuji Varieties (chopped into small pieces) = Not a favorite
- Apples – Granny Smith (chopped into small pieces) = Didn’t like
- Apricots (fresh, cut in half) = So-so
- Bacon Grease (cold and solid) = Liked, but seemed annoyed by the messiness of it – kept wiping off their beaks
- Bagels (blueberry and plain) = Ate some of it
- Baloney = Loved it
- Blackberries (fresh) = Liked a lot
- Blueberries (fresh) = LOVED it (great to use when teaching tricks as reward treat)
- Bread (garlic bread – stale) = Didn’t like
- Bread (wheat with whole grains/seeds in it) = Ate
- Bread (wheat slice with cold bacon grease spread on it) = Liked it
- Bread (white/french) = Didn’t like, but ate a little
- Bread Crumbs (dry, white bread) = Didn’t Like
- Buffalo (ground meat – cooked of course) = LOVED
- Burger (beef meat patty, cooked of course) = LOVED
- Broccoli (boiled) = Ate it
- Broccoli (raw) = Hated it
- Cabbage Green (raw) = Liked a lot
- Cabbage Purple (raw) = Liked it
- Cauliflower (boiled) Ate it
- Cat Food (dried variety) = LOVED it
- Carrot Peels = Didn’t like
- Carrot Tops = Ate some
- Celery (raw) Hated it
- Cheese, Babybel wedges (i.e. soft cream cheese) = Didn’t like
- Cheese, Blue Cheese Brie (i.e. soft with blue in it) = So-So
- Cheese, Cheddar (cut in small cubes) = LOVED
- Cheese, Gouda (smoked) = So-So
- Cheese, Gouda (aged/hard) = So-So
- Cheese, String Variety = LOVED and chased each other around the coop over it
- Cherries, Bing Variety = Liked
- Cherries, Nanking Variety = LOVED
- Cherry Tomatoes (whole, raw) = Ate
- Coconut (dried, shredded, slightly sweetened) = Ate some
- Corn on the Cob (uncooked) = Liked
- Cracker – Trisket variety = Didn’t like
- Cucumber Peels = Didn’t like
- Cucumbers Whole (cut lengthwise down middle) = LOVED
- Dried Dates (sugared) = Don’t Like
- Fruit Cocktail (awful stuff in sugary syrup) = Hated, would eat any of it
- Ham (honey-baked lunchmeat) = Liked a lot
- Kale (fresh) = Liked a lot
- Lamb (lamb bone with meat attached — cooked of course) = LOVED
- Lemonbalm (fresh plant) = LOVED
- Lettuce (iceburg) = Liked a lot
- Lettuce (mesculin – baby variety mix) = Liked a lot
- Lettuce (red leaf) = Don’t Like
- Lettuce (romaine) = Liked a lot
- Marshmallows = Didn’t Like
- Meusli = Ate some of and ignored the rest
- Nectarines (fresh, cut in half) = Didn’t like
- Oatmeal (cooked and slightly sweetened b/c leftovers from my breakfast) = Liked
- Oregano (fresh on the stem) = LOVED
- Papaya (dried chunks) = Didn’t like
- Parsley (fresh, curly variety) = Liked
- Peaches (fresh, cut in half) = Didn’t like
- Pears (home canned in syrup) = HATED it
- Pine nuts (stale, whole) = Didn’t like, wouldn’t even try it
- Plums (fresh, cut in half) = Didn’t like
- Popcorn (bagged/light salt) = Didn’t Like
- Potatoes (mashed) = Ate a little
- Quinoa (cooked with seasoning) = Didn’t Like
- Raisins = Didn’t like
- Raw Pumpkin broken open = hated it – ground it into bottom of coop making a complete freaking mess of it
- Red Currants (fresh off the plant) = LOVED (this is chicken crack)
- Rice (steamed brown) = Liked
- Rice – Chinese/Fried Variety = Liked
- Salami (spicy) = Didn’t like it (ate a little bit)
- Salmon (Grilled with lemon and dill) = Like (meat) Didn’t Like (fish skin)
- Sandwich (ham/swiss/lettuce/Mayo) = Liked
- Sandwich (club variety) = Liked
- Sandwich (American cheese slice on a burger bun) = Liked A lot (this sad excuse of a sandwich)
- Sardines (in oil – canned) = Ate some, not thrilled
- Spaghetti (cooked) = Liked a lot — I think they liked the wormlike appearance
- Spinach (fresh) = Liked a lot
- Spinach (boiled) = Didn’t like
- 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)
- Steak fat/grizzle (cooked of course, and cut into small cubes) = LOVED – climbed all over me to get to the meat!
- Strawberries = LOVED
- Tater tots (sweet potato variety) = So-So
- Tortillas (wheat flour variety) = Ate
- Veggie Stix (puffed, veggie chip) = Ate some — seemed more interested in shape than taste
- Watermelon = LOVED
- Yougurt (greek, plain, unsweetened) = not a favorite
- 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