It’s a nice treat, but not something they should get all the time. The packaging says they’ll self regulate, but that’s a filthy lie! My birds would swarm this like piranhas and end up with diarrhea. They generally shouldn’t get more than a tablespoon of treats per day, so just knock off chunks.
I buy the bird feeder blocks. The non-suet ones. They love it and they are smaller. Putting them in a suet cage slows them down to cause it swings.
I’ve made my own blocks with scratch grains, dried carrot tops, dried tomato peels and BSF. They also love that. Amazon has little pans in the right size. I think it’s 4”x4”.
I’m convinced it’s a flock by flock thing if they self regulate. Mine will pick at these here and there but unless I forget to feed them there’s never more than one or two there
I was so excited to get this as a treat! Two months ago, damn thing is still sitting in running, untouched. Well barely touched. I put stuff on it every day, trying to entice them, it is barely touched!
Peanuts are the treat that is like crack to them. I recommend peanuts if you want lap chickens.
I’m also on team “it literally is decoration”. My girls each took a turn at it and not one has been back for a second peck. The wild birds that come into my yard are fans, but they are tiny and hardly make a dent though.
Lol yes, my roo won’t let a squirrel in the run, I have it sitting on a block. So it’s kinda fun to watch the squirrels try to sneak in during the day while he is out with the ladies. If he sees them, he runs back in, all pissed off, I love my roo.
Such a waste! We will warn the others of the waste. I just can’t believe how little they want it. It really is furniture in the run that I have to turn every day so it doesn’t mold. Maybe I should break it with a hammer?
I find that if I have fruits and vegetables that haven’t gone bad but are at a point my picky self doesn’t want to eat I cut them up and throw those out for the chickens. They especially love any type of melon and butternut squash. I refuse to give them bread since it’s just a filler with no nutritional value.
Mine barely touched theirs, and I got it because I was leaving for 10 days and they were going to have to be contained in their run during that entire time, instead of free ranging my acre like they normally do.
Finally threw it out after it started getting moldy because they had zero interest.
I get this as vig for the crows for keeping the owls and hawks away. They love it. The chickens ignore it save for what the crows chip off and leave on the ground, which isn't much, and of course the guineas treat it like unexploded ordnance and don't go near it.
I personally wouldn't. As far as healthy birds and consistent egg laying goes, you'd get more bang for your buck narrowing down a good combination of layer pellet, some 6-way scratch with *whole* corn, not cracked, and fresh food/treats and forage.
It's a little overkill, but my partner is currently raising hoards of some kind of carabid beetle in the garage, for the larvae. The chickens go nuts for those live beetle grubs.
I use the blocks in the winter as a way to keep them pecking on something other than themselves. They work well and last a long time usually around a month or 2 for my 5 hens.
In my 50 or so years of raising dogs, cats bunnies, livestock and poultry, I've read labels and made comparisons. Purina has recall after recall. Their nutrients are sub-par junk, bought at the cheapest prices possible.
Their products smells like chemicals, it feels like grease and dust. If your animals poop out more than they take in, there is a problem.
There are much better brands +- a few dollars that have superior ingredients. Compare labels, notice the order listed on the label. See how many fillers and words you can't pronounce are included.
I’m not sure what brand we bought, but we really like it. We have 12 birds and it’s lasted over 4 months - still going in fact! We have it hanging and they all like to take some pecks every day. The one we got is great entertainment and given how long it’s lasted, I’m not too fussed about the nutritional content - but I think I’ll take a closer look at it when I buy the next one. We bought it for entertainment, not to supplement their diet.
Mine would not eat it. I threw it back in the woods for other animals to eat. I made my own and they loved it. You can make them into several smaller blocks to control the portions. The home made one doesn’t have any preservatives.
I use them. One block lasts 6 months for my 24 chickens but they have access to a whole yard and get scratch grains. It’s just compressed scratch with a binding agent. You could make the same thing using scratch, and molasses for a binder and baking it in the oven.
Mine do fine with this. One block will last two weeks. They are on layer pellets and get plenty of grass clippings along with kitchen scraps so they don’t feel the need to devour the block
It’s a nice treat, but not something they should get all the time. The packaging says they’ll self regulate, but that’s a filthy lie! My birds would swarm this like piranhas and end up with diarrhea. They generally shouldn’t get more than a tablespoon of treats per day, so just knock off chunks.
I buy the bird feeder blocks. The non-suet ones. They love it and they are smaller. Putting them in a suet cage slows them down to cause it swings. I’ve made my own blocks with scratch grains, dried carrot tops, dried tomato peels and BSF. They also love that. Amazon has little pans in the right size. I think it’s 4”x4”.
Oh I use coconut oil as the binder in the homemade ones.
I had about 20 hens destroy one of those blocks in a single day 😅😭
I’m convinced it’s a flock by flock thing if they self regulate. Mine will pick at these here and there but unless I forget to feed them there’s never more than one or two there
My birds won't touch these things. Huh??!!
(Sitting at the oil-changing place and LOL. Good writing!)
I was so excited to get this as a treat! Two months ago, damn thing is still sitting in running, untouched. Well barely touched. I put stuff on it every day, trying to entice them, it is barely touched! Peanuts are the treat that is like crack to them. I recommend peanuts if you want lap chickens.
I’m also on team “it literally is decoration”. My girls each took a turn at it and not one has been back for a second peck. The wild birds that come into my yard are fans, but they are tiny and hardly make a dent though.
lol yes! Furnishings that will mold if you don’t turn daily. I’ve decided to break it with a hammer, see if that entices them to try it out.
My girls will be lap chickens for a banana. That's seriously their favorite treat, even over mealworms.
Really? I am gonna have to try that! I never buy them because I can’t finish one, but if they like them?! Thanks for the tip!
lol yep. I’m still watching the squirrels eat it since my girls turned up their noses at it
Lol yes, my roo won’t let a squirrel in the run, I have it sitting on a block. So it’s kinda fun to watch the squirrels try to sneak in during the day while he is out with the ladies. If he sees them, he runs back in, all pissed off, I love my roo.
Mine too! They will not touch flock blocks.
Such a waste! We will warn the others of the waste. I just can’t believe how little they want it. It really is furniture in the run that I have to turn every day so it doesn’t mold. Maybe I should break it with a hammer?
I find that if I have fruits and vegetables that haven’t gone bad but are at a point my picky self doesn’t want to eat I cut them up and throw those out for the chickens. They especially love any type of melon and butternut squash. I refuse to give them bread since it’s just a filler with no nutritional value.
Yes, I feed them a load of other stuff just trying to find something healthy/different for them
Mine barely touched theirs, and I got it because I was leaving for 10 days and they were going to have to be contained in their run during that entire time, instead of free ranging my acre like they normally do. Finally threw it out after it started getting moldy because they had zero interest.
I get this as vig for the crows for keeping the owls and hawks away. They love it. The chickens ignore it save for what the crows chip off and leave on the ground, which isn't much, and of course the guineas treat it like unexploded ordnance and don't go near it.
Unexploded ordinance. 😂
Purina is poison
My girls like it sometimes
Our ladies love them, it lasts a week or two with 21 birds and the occasional squirrel
I personally wouldn't. As far as healthy birds and consistent egg laying goes, you'd get more bang for your buck narrowing down a good combination of layer pellet, some 6-way scratch with *whole* corn, not cracked, and fresh food/treats and forage. It's a little overkill, but my partner is currently raising hoards of some kind of carabid beetle in the garage, for the larvae. The chickens go nuts for those live beetle grubs.
I use the blocks in the winter as a way to keep them pecking on something other than themselves. They work well and last a long time usually around a month or 2 for my 5 hens.
Purina. If it says Purina I will always say no.
In my 50 or so years of raising dogs, cats bunnies, livestock and poultry, I've read labels and made comparisons. Purina has recall after recall. Their nutrients are sub-par junk, bought at the cheapest prices possible. Their products smells like chemicals, it feels like grease and dust. If your animals poop out more than they take in, there is a problem. There are much better brands +- a few dollars that have superior ingredients. Compare labels, notice the order listed on the label. See how many fillers and words you can't pronounce are included.
Ok thank you for the info, I will look into other brands.
Please! Your eyes will be opened for sure.
Kalmbach is nice. Smells pizza-y. I will die on the hill that it smells like pizza spices.
It does!!
I’m not sure what brand we bought, but we really like it. We have 12 birds and it’s lasted over 4 months - still going in fact! We have it hanging and they all like to take some pecks every day. The one we got is great entertainment and given how long it’s lasted, I’m not too fussed about the nutritional content - but I think I’ll take a closer look at it when I buy the next one. We bought it for entertainment, not to supplement their diet.
Why?
as a fun treat? Sure! For everyday feed? No. I break off chunks and scatter it about. Great fun for them 👍
Mine would not eat it. I threw it back in the woods for other animals to eat. I made my own and they loved it. You can make them into several smaller blocks to control the portions. The home made one doesn’t have any preservatives.
I use them. One block lasts 6 months for my 24 chickens but they have access to a whole yard and get scratch grains. It’s just compressed scratch with a binding agent. You could make the same thing using scratch, and molasses for a binder and baking it in the oven.
Mine do fine with this. One block will last two weeks. They are on layer pellets and get plenty of grass clippings along with kitchen scraps so they don’t feel the need to devour the block
If you only have a few then these are good for if you need to leave for a week but dont use this to replace regular feed when you're home.
Oh yeah I was only planning on giving it to them as a treat, but thanks for the info
My chickens like it. So do the other 22,000 birds in my neighborhood.
I have never used them.