Food Scraps?

[ScottyChic]

Hi
~~Chickens can eat the flesh of avocado in moderation. However, avocado pits and skin contain persin, which can be toxic in significant quantities.

 

[sumrfun65]

Ours had leftover spaghetti and homemade wheat bread this morning. They love scraps.

 

[ScottyChic]

Chickens can eat onions, chives and garlic in small quantities, occasionally. Sufficient quantities of onion and garlic can be harmful to chickens, causing hemolytic anemia, aka: Heinz anemia. “The alkaloid N-propyl disulphide is present in cultivated and wild onions, chives and garlic, and affects the enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in red blood cells,” which can cause Heinz anemia. "Allicin, which gives garlic its odor, is also a strong oxidant. In rare cases, this chemical can be dangerous and can cause Heinz body hemolytic anemia, as well." You wouldn’t eat a bowl of raw onions, chives or garlic, so don’t feed them to your chickens as a side dish.

 

[ScottyChic]

~~MYTH: Chickens should not eat raw potatoes or potato skins. FACT: Chickens should not eat GREEN potato skins. The green color indicates the presence of solanine, a toxin that affects the nervous system when consumed in large quantities. However, the average, healthy human would have to eat 4.5 pounds at one sitting to experience any neurological effects. Similarly, a chicken would need to consume large quantities of green potato skins to experience any effects. The leaves and stems of the potato plant DO contain high levels of solanine and are toxic to chickens. The take-home message? If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to your chickens.

 

[alissa01]

  I have fed my chicken food scraps from day one. In the winter time I warm leftovers up for them, and they love it. I am careful not to feed them things like onions and raisins, or any other foods on the no, no list. Everyone tells me what healthy and happy chickens they are.

Why no raisins? I hadn't heard that.

 

[Twinklin]

Why no raisins? I hadn't heard that.

I used to feed my girls raisins all the time as well as grapes. I know grapes are bad for dogs and cats but I've never heard anything about grapes or raisins for chickens. Both are on the OK list here https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

 

[Ladydane]

Going through the posts and found one similar to what I do, and I'm still learning. Mine get their regular feed pellets, a little cracked corn and fresh water first thing in the morning. Around noon I go out there with bird seed and a few scraps and grass if I can find it; if not; I've started the fodder, so they get a little of that. Around 4 to 5 pm is dinner. Table scraps, bread pieces, and in the winter (which is their first) I make a big salad for 'em with whatever I've got available. They're not much for citrus or carrots but they love popcorn, potato peels, and cabbage. My only problem is what to feed them and what to put in the compost pile! I can't help it if my chickens like organic stuff too!

 

[NYREDS]

Hi - Greetings from Scotland.

Well, their staple diet here is HAGGIS - no, seriously I am joking.

We have kept hens for many years and each day they get Layers Pellets, mixed grain (some say this makes them fat - has not done so to our hens). We also give them loads of food scraps,
avoid white bread - no good and a high salt content. Our hens get pretty much everything. They adore blueberries, cheese (only a small amount), they go crazy for spaghetti Bolognese leftovers,
raw minced beef etc. They are not particularly keen on cucumber/tomatoes but love apples and bananas.
No Avocados, no apple seeds.~~No white potatoes - cooked or raw, skins or flesh. These are toxic to hens. And no onions.

Hope this helps a little. Good luck with your new hens.

p.s - what breed of hens are you getting?

Don't waste the Haggis on chickens. Bobby Burns didn't write a poem about laying mash.

Avocados: I've seen several posts here from people reporting that they've heard/read that Avocados are harmful to chickens. I've also seen several posts from people who said they have, often repeatedly, fed Avocado to their chickens with no ill affect. What I have never seen is a post from someone who said the fed Avocado to their chickens resulting in a bad outcome. Make of that what you will but be advised there's a lot of misinformation on this board.

In a recent post in this thread someone said 1-they don't feed their chickens meat, & 2-they try to feed them as naturally as possible. Which is it? Chickens are omnivors. Meat is a natural part of their diet. I've seen mine eat mice, snakes & baby wild birds. Much of the misinformation here comes from "experts" who have 4 chickens in their backyard & they've had them for 6 months total.

Be aware that what's poison for people may not be poison for chickens. Tomato plants & Rhubarb leaves come to mind. Toxic to humans but I;ve seen chickens eat both. Also what's toxic to dogs may not be harmful to chickens. Grapes are an obvious example. Toxic to some dogs but my chichens clear any grapes they can reach off my grape vines.

Basically, they can eat what you can eat. We clean out the fridge once a week &b all the leftovers go to one pen or another. They get very excited when they see the big silver bowl.

People say chipos or crackers are too salty for chickens, For their complete diet they are but who plans to feed their chickens on crackers? If you have a part of a box of crackers that goes stale go ahead & feed them. It won't hurt a thing. Same is true of sweets. Got a couple pieces of left over birthday cake? Trrow it in their. Switch your chickens to an all cake diet? Don't be silly.

Use some common sense-which actually isn't all that common.


ETA_ I love Haggis! I never have any left over.

ETA2-I see references to "fodder" showing up here recently. The associated descriptions seem to indicate the people are talking about sprouted grains. That's not what fodder is. A dictionary is a useful tool.

 

[babicombe]

Greens - kale, spinach, chard, etc. - are especially good for chickens. And they love grass and it's really good for them!

 

[Twinklin]

In a recent post in this thread someone said 1-they don't feed their chickens meat, & 2-they try to feed them as naturally as possible. Which is it? Chickens are omnivors. Meat is a natural part of their diet. I've seen mine eat mice, snakes & baby wild birds. Much of the misinformation here comes from "experts" who have 4 chickens in their backyard & they've had them for 6 months total.

By natural I meant no processed foods, they don't eat meat because I don't eat meat. They free range and eat lots of bugs and maybe they've gotten some baby rats or something along the way. I just choose not to give them meat because I don't have meat scraps. You need to not be so condescending. I wasn't trying to be an expert I was stating what I choose to feed my chickens. I'm well aware they eat rodents and other critters.