We know that our chickens are omnivores . They devour most anything : helianthus seeds , insect , fridge leftovers , whatever . Show up by their coop with any sort of container and you ’re swiftly surrounded by insatiable , inquisitive birds . In fact , their appetency seems to be rival only by their rarity . Combined , these two traits might result in concern for owners — but not heartburn for our chickens .
Like Capricorn the Goat , domestic fowl can consume an dumbfounding regalia of message that we would find flabbergasting and , in some cases , downright scary . At least once a hebdomad I receive an email or other type of message from a panicked poultry - custodian asking for assistance because a chicken rust something alarming . fortuitously , most of our worries are unfounded . take on .
Rocks
take in a beloved hen slug back a stone can be quite disquieting , especially if you ’re new to poultry - holding . If your chicken has choked down a rock , relief assured that there ’s little cause for concern . Because they miss tooth , chickens routinelyswallow rocks as a digestive financial aid . These rocks are salt away in the ventriculus , where they grind incoming food , breaking it down before it moves along to the bird ’s stomach . Offering your sight poultry grit will minimise occurrence of stone immerse .
Small Animals
I remember the first metre I attend a volaille eat anything other than the food I ’d provided . A lilliputian field black eye had the uttermost misfortune to emerge not just in the middle of our Orpington rivulet but right in the middle of the flock itself . The birds had gathered expectantly , waiting for me to toss them some safflower seeds . The shiner was far more appetising than anything I had to offer . Over the days , I ’ve take in my birds eat Snake , frogs , lizards and even little sparrows . It might be disconcert for us , but it ’s perfectly natural for them , given their lacertilian ancestry .
Cigarette Butts
These are one of the most rough-cut objects deal owners cover to me as having been eaten by their bird , who flex up tossed - aside filters with their scratching . Whilecigarette buttsbarely rank as edible , they do carry some natural components — report , rayon and activated charcoal — and they will ultimately pass your wimp ’s digestive organization .
Buttons
Shiny , calendered and bright , push button pull in birds like candy attracts kids . Children ’s clothing is the most usual source of these colorful perpetrator , which bug out off while Kid toy . Chickens then discover them while forage , find them irresistible and swig them down . As they are typically made from undigestible charge plate and metal , buttons will travel through a bird ’s digestive tract and finally exit .
String
easy false for a louse , string is another detail normally ingested by chickens — and one you should ascertain . While your hiss might pass a whole piece of string , sometimes only part of it exits while the repose wait its emptying notice . Should you see string dangling from your chicken ’s vent , do not pull on it . This can cause severe and irreparable damage to your razzing ’s enteral tract . provide it hang , however , is just as dangerous : Your other chickens , fuel by their voracious curiosity , might nag and grab at the string with similarly dire result . To safeguard your string - consume bird , use a pair of snips or sharp shears to cut the exposed portion , then throw out of it in an appropriate trash receptacle .
Regardless of what your bird might have ingested , watch for any unusual behavior . If your chicken stops eating , drinking or eliminating , if it becomes dispirited and keeps itself isolated , if its crop feels enlarge and intemperately , contact your veterinarian immediately for medical assistance .
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