Meat for chickens; yes or no??

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

So feeding question.

As chickens are omnivores.
Does it hurt them to eat meat every once in awhile??

I’ve seen a growing trend of people feeding their chickens meat scraps.

We’ve even given ours turkey breast carcasses to clean (was cooked). Or oats that soaked up some bacon grease for protein & fat.

But regardless of opinions; I would like to know the science of it.
Whether it’s bad or fine.

I’m in the camp of it’s fine as again they’re omnivores. They eat meat when they get it.

You wouldn’t expect a black bear not to eat meat because they’re an omnivore.
But I don’t want to harm my animals either.

 

[casportpony]

Did you know that feed used to be made with animal proteins?

 

[fluffycrow]

I give meat weekly to the birds. Don't have any scientific sources to give you though

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hi! I occasionally give mine cooked meat, pork and chicken, beef.

 

[Lillith37]

I know you want science but unfortunately I have no science… but I can share that I give my flock beef liver twice a week. It’s their ultimate favourite treat ever (except for Constance, who is fussy and prefers lettuce). I started doing this to boost their iron because my flock is lead-affected from contaminated soil.

 

[WingsysRoost]

I give mine meat scraps if there is any left over (which, to be fair, isn't super often).

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

Did you know that feed used to be made with animal proteins?

No I didn’t.
But thanks for that info.

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

@U_Stormcrow
Since you seem to know chicken feed, way better than most. lol

Is it possible to feed a proper feed that is free of soy, corn, and meat/fish?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Possible? In theory, I suppose.

Is it done in practice? Not particularly successfully***

To hit your modern amino targets, you will have to rely on either insect proteins in substantial quantity (Methionine is VERY difficult to find in quantity in plant sources), or you will have to process concentrated plant protein sources (generally, seeds) to further concentrate proteins and remove undesired components (primarily fat), and the overall feed balanced based on the energy content of whatever concentrated protein source you are using - meaning cut the carbs, mostly. Then you need to give thought to your anti-nutritive factors in your primary protein source, which may also have been concentrated.

Soy is popular because a byproduct - soy meal - exists as a cheap, concentrated protein source with one of the best AA profiles in the plant world - whose antinutritive properties are mostly addressed by the same process that extracted the soybean oil in the first place. Another option is corn gluten meal - again, the fats (oils) are largely extracted, the proteins concentrated, and a portion of the kernel used that avoids many of the other concerns, and corn already has few antinutritive properties.

Now, someone will inevitably step in and ask about "feral chicken flocks" (which are few and far between) or how chickens survived without humans for millions of years. My answer is a simple one. You aren't keeping feral red junglefowl, and chances are, you do not live in a climate and location suitable for sustaining a feral flock, nor do you have the needed acreage.

Modern birds grow faster, lay more frequently, lay larger eggs than their pre-domestication counterparts and their modern feral population close-cousins. They even outperform their (kept) predecessors of the last century or two, significantly. That performance comes at a cost - increased dietary needs. Reduced dietary quality, reduced chicken performance. Simple.

*** because the dietary needs on an adult production layer (apart from calcium) are the lowest, and the anticipated production lifespan of an adult production layer is relatively short, it is possible to produce a corn free, soy free, animal protein free feed to meet those needs, in part thru limited use of synthetic amino acid additions. You can find a few examples commercially. Finding a similar product as a starter, grower, or "all flock" type formulation (because growing birds have far greater nutritional needs) is much more difficult.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Welp, I threw my flock a chicken carcass the other day after I was done slicing all the meat off for myself. They loved pecking the rest of the meat off of it and it's a good protein source. Admittedly it does feel weird feeding chicken to chicken so I don't do it often, but I hate wasting food and I like when I can give them fresh protein sources. Sometimes I give them canned cat food or canned fish. I recently discovered how much they love sardines! Just make sure with canned stuff it's not too salty.

This is not a scientific answer. Just telling you my experience.