Rose Petals, Strawberries, Grapes and Polystyrene

Bantam Hens Like...

What do these ingredients have in common?
They are all loved by my little bantam hens.

Each afternoon when my hens are let into my garden (which is different to their garden), they make a dash to a favourite rose bush in the garden. This rose, Mary Rose, flowers prolifically and as a result drops many petals. 

Fallen rose petals

Yet again, today when the hens got out, they rushed to the petals on the ground . One hen, a little buff Pekin who is eighteen months old and very low to the ground, ate more than a dozen petals. Later I saw her pecking with relish at some polystyrene pieces I had taken out of an old pot plant when I was repotting it. 

Here are some pullets eating a bowl full of rose petals

Now why do my hens love polystyrene? I have no idea. A few months ago when the pullets moved into their new back garden, a little garden just for the pullets, there was an old polystyrene vegetable box with some plants in it. Those hens attacked this box with gusto each day when they were let out until I finally removed it.

Food for Bantams

You may say, 'Well, why don't you feed your chickens decent food?' These purebred bantams have the best of every world. They have just had a beautiful new chicken shed built just for them. They have mixed grains available all day and they get lettuce leaves and yummy (for them) food scraps each day. 

These consist of fermented food, grapes, soaked bread - gluten free and yeast free, strawberries and tomatoes and sometimes some meat or fish. They are really spoilt and yet they eat polystyrene as if it were chocolate.

Here you can see the black Silkie protecting her rose petals