How to Encourage Silkies to Eat Fruit/Vegetable Scraps

[Kingbobkingdom]

Today, I was dismayed to find that I raised my two silkie hens to be wimps - they were afraid of a watermelon.
After the watermelon was basically eaten, I tried giving the rind (it had an inch or two of red left) to my silkies, knowing that chickens love watermelon. However, they were very scared of it
They willingly ate pieces of watermelon out of my hand, but if I moved my hand near the watermelon rind (the watermelon was cut in half), they didn't come nearer.
They don't eat apple peels or shredded carrots either.
Is there a way that I can encourage them to eat fruit/vegetable scraps? I think they might be spoiled.
Thanks!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old are they? Young birds won't often try new things unless they have a mother hen showing them. Even adult hens sometimes won't eat new things without a rooster calling them over. Silkies also can have troubles seeing well so new things are extra terrifying to them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I find that different chickens and different flocks can be as different as any humans. Some can be bold and try different things and others are "Not me honey!"

One of my favorite stories was when I dumped a bunch of corn ear worms on a patch of bare ground near several 8 to 10 week old chicks. They looked carefully at those worms and a couple of the braver ones started moving very slowly and carefully toward them. Step by step, inch by inch they got closer. Then a worm wiggled!!! Run away! Run away! But they did not run far. Soon, step by step, inch by inch they started carefully moving toward those worms. A worm wiggled! Run away! Run away!

This repeated another couple of times before one of those bold brave chicks got close enough and grabbed a worm. That opened the floodgates. Within 30 seconds every worm was eaten. That would not have happened without that bold brave pioneering spirit of a couple of those chicks. Both were cockerels by the way. Cockerels tend to be braver than the girls.

Is there a way that I can encourage them to eat fruit/vegetable scraps?

The way I do it is to put the scraps out there and walk away. Let them find them on their own. Either they will or they won't. I find that usually they will but it may not be the first time they are offered.

I don't leave that stuff out there overnight. I don't want to attract certain predators like raccoons or vermin like mice or rats. So each night I clean it up and each day would be a new start.

Another quick story. Cabbage is often given as a popular treat. I grow cabbage in my garden. Some years when I offer them cabbage they love it. Some years they won't touch it. Each chicken is different. Each flock is different. That is just life.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Not wimps at all it is just survival instincts kicking in. They don’t have their mother there to show them what’s safe and what’s not to eat. Say that you are going for a walk in the woods with a friend. Your friend picks a handful of berries from a bush that you don’t recognize and shoves the handful of berries in front of your face. Are you a wimp for taking a step back because you don’t know what those berries are and you are afraid that they might be poisoned? No you’re not it’s just your survival instincts kicking in saying “This is strange. I don’t know what it is and I don’t know if it is safe to eat.”

 

[Kingbobkingdom]

Thanks for all the replies!
I've given my silkies (8 months old) watermelon before, but I suppose half of it is just too large for them.
I'll try to give them scraps more often and see if they get used to it.

(btw, they've shown themselves to be wimps before, and they're not that smart for a chicken haha, so I thought that maybe they were scared of the watermelon)

 

[FrostRanger]

Chickens are cautious creatures, you'd be too if you're on everyone's menu. I second the dumping it on the ground and walking away. They'll figure it out eventually

 

[Kingbobkingdom]

Update:
I cut the watermelon rind into smaller pieces and now they love it!