bug farming, any luck getting restaurant scraps?

[Vata Raven]

I'll also add that if you do try this out - getting food scraps to grow bugs for your chickens - please let us know how it goes and share your experience. I think people would love to hear about it!

Is it not something people do often?

I'm thinking of ways to feed my flock without relying on processed junk food.

I had this mindset before I even got my first flock this year, but after I started feeding them stuff like spent brewer grains (dried out) and other things, I noticed... they don't like the chick feed all that much.

I mean, I expected it. It's like commercial dog food. We all know that junk isn't real food.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

If I claimed to have invented a machine that converted waste carbohydrates and protein into healthy people food and high nitrogen fertilizer, while also turning compost, people would either think I was nuts or be lining up with their wallets out.

But that's exactly what chickens are...they'll eat lots of scraps and make healthy eggs and turn compost while depositing their high nitrogen waste right into the compost pile.

I do always provide mine with commercial feed as well, as there are some nutrients they may not be able to get from the scraps/compost pile.

And I'm always looking for things to add...a little extra protein, sprouts (just had 20 lbs of spring pea seeds arrive to mix into the compost and hopefully sprout), etc.

And I often think about chickens and invasive species. Up here in RI, our invasive animals species are pretty tiny...but I know in some parts of the country, there are invasive fish and animal species that are big enough to make harvesting them worth while. I plan this summer to see what my chickens think of a few invasive plant species, likely aquatic ones so as not to risk spreading land-based ones.

 

[Vata Raven]

But that's exactly what chickens are...they'll eat lots of scraps and make healthy eggs and turn compost while depositing their high nitrogen waste right into the compost pile.

So, you pretty much let the chickens do the composting?

Or do you compost it down a bit, toss it to the ground, and the chickens do their work?

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

So, you pretty much let the chickens do the composting?

Or do you compost it down a bit, toss it to the ground, and the chickens do their work?

The chickens have access to the pile all day long. They come running when they see me carrying buckets of fresh food scraps. Then they scratch at the pile throughout the day looking for scraps, bugs, worms, etc.

I do occasionally turn the compost a bit, to keep things moving along. When they see the compost fork come out, you can almost see them tying on their bibs as they come running...I'll turn a few fork fulls, then catch my breathe while they go to town on whatever bits I uncovered.

So, they do SOME of the work, but really like when I get out there and do some turning too.

 

[Vata Raven]

So, they do SOME of the work, but really like when I get out there and do some turning too.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

Happy to share. I genuinely think that if more chicken owners just did a little bit to help reduce waste, we can make a huge impact.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

if you're looking for chicken food - getting spent grain from breweries is a great way of helping them with their waste and giving your chickens a great treat

 

[Vata Raven]

if you're looking for chicken food - getting spent grain from breweries is a great way of helping them with their waste and giving your chickens a great treat

I get some from one brewer, and I'm trying to get a hold of some more. So far, I dry it out, and mixed it with their chick starter.

And I learned they've been picking around the mix and going for the grains.

So for now, I give them dried brewer grains as a snack topping until I can get a steady supply of bugs and food waste.