Topic of the Week - Feeding table scraps to your flock

[allergymama]

I'm curious about whether all the above apply to ducks/geese? I haven't tried anything but greens with my 2 year old flock of 18 ducks/5 geese (too chicken lol).

 

[Tilly6]

I'm curious about whether all the above apply to ducks/geese? I haven't tried anything but greens with my 2 year old flock of 18 ducks/5 geese (too chicken lol).

My ducks love watermelon, cukes, fresh peas, summer squash, cantaloupe, and will jump through hoops for dried mealworms, so far. They ignore bread, and will eventually eat bananas. Carrots haven't been well received either.

 

[The Boutwells]

I feed my chickens all of my "greens" from my garden...if I have pickling cucumbers that have gotten to large I throw them in the chicken yard...the LOVE them. Same goes with any of my overgrown veggies...

 

[frontyardcoop]

I give my chickens almost all my scraps, except the things they won't eat, onion, scallion, chili, hard breads or tortilla and I don't give them dairy or salty foods. We eat pretty healthy, so the hens can eat most of our leftover. I did find soaking old bread and cheerios in some water makes old bread so tasty, to chickens. I will give them whole cooked chicken carcass, bones of ribs, they pick them clean and love it. All egg shells are recycled, I roll them out with my fancy rollling pin which I used once or twice for a pie crust before my skinny husband was told he has prediabetes. Good bye pies. I throw the trimming from my grape vines and blue berry bushes in the run too. I read here not to give them grass clippings, so I dry the clippings before putting them in the run. My worm bins are suffering but my hens are happy. I love having 7 chickens, I feel like I am recycling. I even use my many ficus tree leaf droppings and creeping red fescue rakings in the run. The chickens pulverize the leaves, it is amazing.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Quote:
I read that somewhere about the beaver castor as well. Kind of gross if you ask me.
I did find that even though "organic" and "all natural" may be on the labels that does not mean the plants were not treated with something you may not want to ingest. I laugh at the labels on egg cartons that say "organic" because it makes me think "Well what would an inorganic egg look like?" and all I can come up with are the plastic Easter eggs.
I think that is why I am removing the grass and making my yard into veggie gardens.

 

[goalaimethic]

Chickens are regularly fed the equivalent of a human recieving corn nibblets every day for every meal for a lifetime. They eat it when hungry. It's bland tasting but it provides satiety. Table scraps are essentially food from the gods. A medley of shapes and colors with infinite tastes that the daily crumbles never provide. My chickens tend to eat their crop full when I provide them scraps. I think it's important for chickens to eat a good portion of their regular diet since it provides them their protein/carbohydrates/fats/vitamins and mineral requirements for the day. I guesstimate when their crops are about 2/3rds (or more) full before giving them scraps. It's like making sure a child eats all the veggies before being given dessert. Most fruits are safe for chickens. Mine scratch off the entire inside of watermelon rinds leaving only a thin skin. They tend to carry off certain things like banana pieces and they appear to decide whether they have an appetite for some foods before eating. I've seen chickens take small pecks at food to taste what they have and they either consume it or leave it where they dropped it. Some days they'll hog a slice of bread, other days they'll give it a 'no thanks'. They're not too different from humans regarding changing appetite. Here's a link that I think every backyard chicken owner should keep in mind when feeding scraps to their flock: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets There are just some foods that universally shouldn't be given to any animal: onions, caffeine, chocolate, salty foods, sugary sweets, uncooked beans, and alcohol. I think it's safe to feed chickens scraps every day, but within reason. Most of their fill should be from their regular diet. The scraps that they're given should at least vary from day to day, or a modest assortment should be provided per meal just so they don't end up getting too much sugar or too much fat or overdose on vitamins in a short period of time. Though certain foods could be given without limit like scraps high in calcium for laying hens.

 

[Ian Glazier]

My girls don't seem to go nuts for fruits and veggies, but when I look at the end of the day it is all gone so I gues they do eat then eventually. They do go nuts for big bugs though! Whatever bugs the kids catch, whoever is the lucky one to get it first gets chased around the pen by all the others until she manages to swallow it. And meat, all forms of meat scraps. Our oldest son catches lots of fish off the dock which we eat, and they love getting a fish carcass after I fillet it.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I read that somewhere about the beaver castor as well. Kind of gross if you ask me.
I did find that even though "organic" and "all natural" may be on the labels that does not mean the plants were not treated with something you may not want to ingest. I laugh at the labels on egg cartons that say "organic" because it makes me think "Well what would an inorganic egg look like?" and all I can come up with are the plastic Easter eggs.
I think that is why I am removing the grass and making my yard into veggie gardens.

By definition not only are hen eggs organic, but hen eggs are also free from gluten, and completely lacking in Lactose despite being in the dairy isle at the supermarket.

 

[SHERRING7712]

I am new as well... I haven't tried any meat products other than meal worms so far... They go crazy over salad (tomatoes, cukes, lettuces and finally onions. They turned their noses up on Corn on the cob and they only seem interested in the most tender parts of a cabbage, no outer leaves--but I continue to experiment. As with one of the other posts, not planning on letting them try poultry meat. If and when they give me enough eggs to share, I plan on giving them a shot at scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms. I still have a LOT to learn...

I am new as well but was doing some reading in a magazine, (can't remember which one) and it said not to give them mushrooms of any kind. I had given mine mushrooms as we eat a ton of mushrooms and I always have scraps of the stems left over but did stop when I read that. I am curious if anyone else on here has recommendations on fungi for chickens. I feed mine pretty much everything else. (potato skins are always fresh, never green) I also mix up any veggie and fruit scraps with water, apple cider vinegar and meal worms and freeze for them. They love it. I have fed my chickens just about everything though I do limit their meat and carb intake, and don't feed them raw meat, and I will not feed mine chicken...I know lots of people do and it is fine, just not for me. We have two small doggies so they get the meat scraps first and the chickens only do if there is too much to feed to the dogs. My kiddos absolutely love pasta though. I figure too much isn't very good for them though so I don't give them much. Unfortunately mine don't seem to care for peas...go figure. Everybody here farms peas, legumes, flax, canola...etc, so I have gotten tubs of leftover seed that got spilled or the like. I would soak the peas so they were not dried before feeding but they don't seem to care for them. They will pick everything else out and leave the peas...crazy chickens! Also my chickens love the papery skins on garlic and onions. They don't get a lot of it but when I come out with scraps of either that's the first thing they go for. It's kind of a game for them as well. Something about the papery skins they like. One will grab a piece and then start running around playing "chicken keep away" and though there is lots more on the ground still all the other chickens will chase after that one!

I plan on giving them warm oatmeal with veggies or fruit on cold days during the winter just like I do their frozen treats on hot days during the summer. I still have lots to learn about chickens, but I am becoming an "expert" on what "MY" chickens like anyway! LOL. I told my husband we need to become mealworm ranchers

because that's their favorite thing and I am spending way too much money on mealworms!!

 

[sebloc]

Hello
At what age are you allowed to feed them table scraps? We have ours in a run and they're around 16 weeks old.
Thanks.