Eat with chickens

[EEforMe]

That’s so cool! I have a compost pile right next to the spot where I dump food scraps. The compost has their bedding, old dead garden stuff, and then I just take whatever food scraps they don’t eat into the pile.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Strawberry Friday!
The major bonus today includes strawberry heads, brussel sprout butts, and carrot peels

Also their own eggs~

Outside is freezing, and a warm breakfast is always finished within minutes.

I used these small cups to give them fresh water.

Easy to clean
I empty them in the evening and provide room temperature water during day time. As I work from home, it's not a problem for me.

 

[DrTheMomm]

That's is absolutely true! Now only citrus and avocado wastes will directly go to the compost, most of the other trimmings will go to the chickens. Much less waste, we are happy, they are happy, win-win-win!

Are citrus fruits and avocados bad for chickens?

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Are citrus fruits and avocados bad for chickens?

They’re probably not quite “bad” for them, but probably not “good” for them.

I compost them in my chicken run system, because the chickens focus on other foods.

Some people choose to compost separate, which is obviously also fine.

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

Stealing your idea - hope you don’t mind! I thought grinding the scraps was GENIUS! Our chickens are SO picky, most times anything other than the usual head of lettuce we give them they won’t touch, but I still throw the scraps out there anyway. I’ve noticed they don’t like the bigger, hard to eat things like carrots either. Usually I have more luck if I cut everything up small for them, but that’s quite laborious when you have a lot of scraps! Throwing this out there for them and going to see what they think

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Another option for those who have wood stoves…throw a pot with harder scraps and water on the wood stove and let it cook until soft.

Spoil the flock with a soft (and warm) snack and leverage “free” heat to do it.

 

[MaggieMoo21]

Chickens are amazing for reducing food waste in your household. I compost IN my chicken run, so pile and flock don’t compete for organics.

The USDA estimates that each American generates about one pound of food waste per day.

We throw all of our scraps into the chicken run. When the straw starts getting deep I rake out the run. The uneaten bits, chicken poop, and straw get piled up for about 6 months in a corner of the yard before getting used in the veggie garden. I love the circular economy of our backyard.

 

[MaggieMoo21]

I don't know what is BSFL (I live in Germany). I used the commercial feed for laying hens and then added what we have at hand. Besides winter, they have tons of homegrown veggies to enjoy. Last year we harvested about 150kg of veggies and fruits, and I guessed, chickens consumed at least another 50kg, especially all kinds of leafy greens.

Black soldier fly larvae

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Stealing your idea - hope you don’t mind! I thought grinding the scraps was GENIUS! Our chickens are SO picky, most times anything other than the usual head of lettuce we give them they won’t touch, but I still throw the scraps out there anyway. I’ve noticed they don’t like the bigger, hard to eat things like carrots either. Usually I have more luck if I cut everything up small for them, but that’s quite laborious when you have a lot of scraps! Throwing this out there for them and going to see what they think

Great that you like this method!

I only feed my chickens twice a day, one in the morning and one much smaller portion before they go to bed. In between, they have random and extra snacks directly put in their runs. The morning feed is to provide sufficient nutrition, especially in winter. For me, this is the most practical way under the current circumstance, regardless of the temperament or preference of each hen.

Meanwhile, the edible plants, bones, fruits, any bonus elements I directly put in their runs - it's up to their willingness and capability to get what they want and how they like to enjoy the food.

Here is a small area in the garden, where I originally had my cold compost piles. Last year I did a small experiment and let the hens work here for a few seasons. Now it's almost ready for becoming my new weed-free no-dig patch. I fully understand and appreciate chickens' ability to speed up the decomposition.

I will apply the similar way so they can be helpful doing weeding in the orchard area, too.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Good morning! We have decided to order a pallet of chicken and quail feed. The local supplier didn't increase the price so far, and we will get an extra 15% discount for that amount and also a free pallet. We have proper space to store them.

However, taking good advantage of kitchen scrap and planting more would be also what we will do this year.

For example, I sowed a lot of broad beans - I love the young shoots, the leaves are a perfect supply for the chickens, beans of course delicious, and the pods can feed compost bins well.

When the scraps have a better place to go (to feed the chicken), they won't go to the compost.

Used eggshells, I would bake them for a while so it's easier to smash them into finer pieces. If we directly throw them into the compost, they will remain that shape for years.

Now it's ready to go - majorly to the compost, a small portion for the chicken.

Today's breakfast is ready to serve.