[northfifeduckling]

I find it interesting how differerently the hens behave around free range food. I wondered if it's genes of different breeds that determine what they like? Last year one of our home-grown hens killed herself eating rhubarb and lots of it. None of the others touch it. She also took any chance to get into my greenhouse and garden to eat anything I planted. A different hen I was given I can take into the greenhouse with me and she doesn't touch any plants at all, not even what I thought they love (spinach, lettuce, kale). Weird....

[chrismahon]

We have Black Gascone chickens here Northfifeduckling. They won't eat any fallen fruit, so the apples and figs lie and rot. Ours love them, but they have gone right off cabbage now and won't touch it, whereas in the UK they loved it. In the UK we had two george themselves on fallen pears and get drunk. Had us puzzled for a bit why they were standing motionless and when they moved were really clumsy. None of ours have ever touched Rhubarb.

[HesterF]

Natural selection! The chicken that gorges on rhubarb is removed from reproducing. The chicken that refrains from picking off your polytunnel goodies will become your favourite and you'll make sure she's well looked after!

[Eve]

Mine absolutely love bananas, whereas a friend's chickens won't touch those strange yellow things 

[mentalmilly]

Mine also love bananas, also grapes, melons, anything with seeds, tomatoes, green stuff, lettuce, but wont touch carrots raw.  Will eat swede raw though.

[chrismahon]

Our pet cockerel loves bananas. We gave him a slice and he made all his happy food noises. Half an hour later and  he 'exploded' -poo splattered everywhere. It reacted with something somewhere and the resulting gas buildup had to go somewhere. We haven't given him banana since.

[[email protected]]

Hi there. I was told the other day by an 'old Norfolk boy's not to give my hens lettuce as something in it puts them off laying!! Don't know if it was coincidence but they had gone off after I had given them lettuce(which they loved!) No lettuce for about a fortnight and now they're popping them out like crazy!! Anyone heard of this?

[shygirl]

lettuce I supposed to make rabbits very drowsy so I guess it would affect hens in some way.

[Womble]

We have a couple who won't eat worms.
 
That's fair enough of course, but in that case what on earth are they spending all day scratching about looking for?!?

[northfifeduckling]

Mine would kill for worms  ! Maybe it's larvae or beetles yours are fond of? The new hen is now a main contender for the ducks' favourite snack - slugs! Sadly she's not touched the large black ones yet but all other colours are yum ,,,,it is a bit more time consuming to have her with me when I'm digging as I have to use mindfulness training as not to whack her with my fork  but nice company. Compared to the others who peck at my hand when I'm doing something by the compost, pure pleasure 

[Stereo]

Lettuce has arsenic in it doesn't it? You can't trust these green things which is why I always get my 5 a day from a bottle.

[northfifeduckling]

much better, it's a mild opiate, actually. probably that's why bunnies go dopey 

[mentalmilly]

Well l know mine like lettuce but not noticed a drop in hatch rate and they only get a few leaves between the 30 of them, and not that often.  If it makes them sleepy l have not noticed.  Might try it myself if l cant sleep sometimes.

[Stereo]

One thing I have noticed is that my flock eat 100kg of feed a week on mud and about 80kg when they are on fresh grass. Food for thought.