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