Food Scraps?

[tracecom]

Mine will eat the pumpkin seeds but not the pumpkin!

I re-purposed a fall decoration pumpkin for my 11 chicks; I cut it into quarters, and they ate the seeds, the pulp, and the flesh right down to the skin. I should have taken pictures; it was a riot.

 

[matt44644]

Eating a cant-no-lope that didn't grow last summer.They eventually ate almost all of it.

 

[karenerwin]

Mine won't even eat the carrot "worms" and with the pumpkins, I broke them into halves, thirds, & quarters, but all they ate were the seeds the rest eventually rotted away! But they will clean out cantaloupe & watermelon down to a paper thin outer shell.

When the temps drop way down in the winter I like to give them a tray of warm oats in the morning & at night before they bed down. They love it!

 

[RonP]

Mine also eat the seeds first.

They will pick at the rest, slowly making it all disappear in the deep litter.

 

[TracyAnn]

My chickens seemed to have difficulty eating the veggie scraps I was giving them, so I started blending them in the food processor. They come out in very small chunks. There is a lot less waste and whatever mess they make just breaks down in the yard. I have 2 containers in the fridge. One with scraps waiting to be processed and one already processed. We also save lightly used paper plates. I'll load whatever I think they will eat onto a plate and head for the coop. They come running when they see me! I also save all the rinds from watermelon in a ziplock bag in the fridge and give them some on hot days. They eat it down to the rind.

 

[ladyearth]

Heck people talk about table scraps. WE have about zilch of that.. except occ peelings. and they go to the meal worms... My chickens prefer pumpkin cooked.....well baked some...anyway...
I am sure the local restaurant have people with pigs that get "scraps". small town here.
Guy on you tube feed his restaurant scraps and uses or sells the compost.

 

[ty48fan]

How often should you give them treat's or table scraps? Or how do you know what's too much?

 

[gmatson]

How old are your chickens? I didn't start giving mine scraps till they were about 5-6 weeks old. Are they outside? If not be such to give them grit if they have treats. Also I have heard too much salt is bad for them.

 

[ty48fan]

They are outside. They spend about 12 hours outside of thier coop in a large fenced in area attached to the coop. We call it the "playpen" and they can come and go as they please. They go in to eat, drink and of course lay eggs.

 

[ty48fan]

They are all over a year old.