What not to feed chickens

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Got the stuff from the pathologist today. It was officially fatty liver disease. The guidelines made a big deal of exercise but the girls get plenty of that. They have over an acre to roam in and they do.

So things I did that were bad:
The treats - straight sunflower was excessive. Mixed with less fatty things and less of it would be better.
I also free feed. Have a gravity feeder that is always out. It is in the stable where their coop is and they are rarely there but no more free feed. I will measure daily.

And again, although it is cold here, it is not excessively cold and they do not need the same fat that a northern bird would need.

Recommended treats:
broccoli
cabbage
cauliflower
peas
berries
oats
spinach

I think this was a sampling, not a full list.

PS: I read about it and decided that I am going to stick to free feeding but keep treats very low fat - veggies and such.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for update. It's good to know. I hope your remaining hens enjoy their low-fat treats.
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I would be so tempted to still give them 5-10 sunflower seeds each at least once a week.
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does this mean not to feed them baked potato peels? We just had baked potatoes and I was going to put the peels in the chicken bucket. What about orange peels?
 
Cooked potato skins are fine - it's raw that still contains solanine (and it doesn't contain enough to bother anything unless you eat tons of them).

Citrus aren't going to do any harm - they probably won't eat them though.
 
CWDancer said:
Okay I am rendering my own lard, so can I feed the cracklings to my chickens?
Click to expand...


This is probably late but my Grandpa(poultry farmer) says that cracklings will get a non laying chicken laying and give you double yolks in the ones that are.
 
Thanks for responding. I've feed the crackling o them this winter a few times, they love the extra fat provided in the cold MN winter.I do not give them cracklings during the summer as I figure they don't need the extra energy provided from the cracklings. I do occasionally hang a suet feeder with a block of suet in the coop during the winter. Otherwise I generally don't give my birds treats very often. I will scatter their feed in the run area when I am trying to fill the feeders and they run out to eat it like I just gave them a treat. During the summer they do get grass clipping and weeds pulled from y garden once in a while. I also feed them leftover salad and other vegetables after we have supper. But again only once in awhile. They love frogs, snakes, and June bugs, and the tug of war or touch football routine that ensues is hilarious!! When I'm digging in my garden if I find a grub worm in my garden and toss it in the run they get so excited and chase after the one that catches it. Chickens are so entertaining!!
 
CWDancer said:
Thanks for responding. I've feed the crackling o them this winter a few times, they love the extra fat provided in the cold MN winter.I do not give them cracklings during the summer as I figure they don't need the extra energy provided from the cracklings. I do occasionally hang a suet feeder with a block of suet in the coop during the winter. Otherwise I generally don't give my birds treats very often. I will scatter their feed in the run area when I am trying to fill the feeders and they run out to eat it like I just gave them a treat. During the summer they do get grass clipping and weeds pulled from y garden once in a while. I also feed them leftover salad and other vegetables after we have supper. But again only once in awhile. They love frogs, snakes, and June bugs, and the tug of war or touch football routine that ensues is hilarious!! When I'm digging in my garden if I find a grub worm in my garden and toss it in the run they get so excited and chase after the one that catches it. Chickens are so entertaining!!
Click to expand...

O my goodness yes I love my chickens to death for some reason the hen house is my favorite place in the world when I am in there all of my stress and or troubles of the day just fade away (my family calls me the crazy chicken lady lol) I could sit and watch them for hours I swear. Oh did you ever get double yokes with the cracklings my Dad goes on about that all the time I have yet to try it but that side of my family swears by it lol.
 

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