Could I feed them vegan?

[JoshTheVegan02]

I am thinking of getting chickens and since I am vegan I will prefer to feed them vegan, vegetarian if I have to but preferably vegan. If you could suggest somewhere that sells the vegan feed in the UK that would also be very helpful, thanks in advance.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Chickens are omnivorous creatures. They require both plant and animal matter to live an optimum lifestyle.
Sure, you could keep them on a vegan diet but you won't have as many eggs, 100% healthy birds, shinier feathers, proper development and overly happy chickens.


Welcome to BYC, good to have you

 

[Torch404]

Most vegans would not be eating eggs as it is an animal product. I know vegans who won't even touch honey...they mumble something about raping the bees.

 

[pdirt]

x2 what @cluckcluckluke said.

Some chicken feeds are mostly vegetarian, but they will get better nutrition if they have some animal protein in their diet. It's very difficult to get all the essential amino acids in the right balance from a vegetarian diet.

Unless you lock your chickens up 24/7 in an insect-screened cage, they will be eating a goodly number of insects. Possibly mice and small snakes, as well. I know some people never let their chickens out, but I think they are so much happier to spend at least a little time free-ranging.

Cats are true carnivores...they will get sick on a vegan diet. Chickens can get by on vegan/vegetarian, but they won't thrive as well.

 

[pdirt]

That does bring up a good question...if you do get chickens, what are you going to do with all those eggs? Just curious. And welcome to the site, lots of helpful people here.

 

[JoshTheVegan02]

My family aren't vegan and I know a lot of people who aren't either so I'll probably give them to them.

 

[JoshTheVegan02]

Most vegans would not be eating eggs as it is an animal product. I know vegans who won't even touch honey...they mumble something about raping the bees.

Vegans don't eat eggs and most don't eat honey because it's an animal product.

 

[JoshTheVegan02]

x2 what @cluckcluckluke said.

Some chicken feeds are mostly vegetarian, but they will get better nutrition if they have some animal protein in their diet. It's very difficult to get all the essential amino acids in the right balance from a vegetarian diet.

Unless you lock your chickens up 24/7 in an insect-screened cage, they will be eating a goodly number of insects. Possibly mice and small snakes, as well. I know some people never let their chickens out, but I think they are so much happier to spend at least a little time free-ranging.

Cats are true carnivores...they will get sick on a vegan diet. Chickens can get by on vegan/vegetarian, but they won't thrive as well.

I don't mind if they eat bugs and insects because that's nature, it's just I just don't feel right feeding them food with meat in because there is nothing natural with the way the meat was produced.

 

[Oliver Douglas]

Chickens are opportunistic omnivores, meaning if they can get it in their mouths, down it goes. Lizards, mice...you name it. I am not sure how the "meat" in chicken feed is processed for consumption. If your concern is based on it being "humanely" processed, rather than being unhealthy for your flock, you might want to consider raising something other than chickens...they will clear your property of multiple varmints without a thought as to the well being of their dinner. Not too much empathy on the part of your birds. Given a chance, they will down a bucket of KFC without a thought that grandma might be in the mix...

 

[torilovessmiles]

I agree with what others are saying, it would be very difficult to raise healthy chickens on vegan feed if you could even find it. Some people have even had trouble with vegetarian feed for their chickens. Some claim that it made their chickens more aggressive with each other and encouraged cannibalism. These are only personal accounts, however.
If you can, get a vegetarian feed and allow them to free range most of the time so they get plenty of animal proteins through bugs and small animals. I don't think it would be a good idea to raise chickens on a vegan diet if they won't be able to free-range much. It's certainly no more natural than the way factory meats are produced to force a chicken to live on a diet that it's not meant to eat.
Just out of curiosity, why are you getting chickens as a vegan, and what do you plan to do with the eggs?