Can chickens eat...chicken?

[peacockdude]

I feed my peafowl boiled chicken meat they love it, the chicks like it the most

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Mine love chicken. Someone told me once to give them the carcass left from a baked chicken. They loved it and picked it clean. I did this quite a few times. Then one day one of my chickens died unexpectedly. Turns out she had a small chicken bone in her crop that pierced the crop and killed her. I quit giving them the carcass or any chicken with bones, but still cut up chicken meat, no skin, bones, or fat, and they love it. Lots of protein.

 

[lazy gardener]

While that is a risk, I would also mention that a chicken can just as easily pick up something in the yard that would do the same thing. I understand the desire to provide the perfect and safest environment for our birds. All of our husbandry practices, when you get right down to it involve risk assessment. Does the risk of my action outweigh the perceived benefit???? I gave my birds some salmon this morning. I gave up on eating it b/c it was so full of bones. When I gave it to them, I thought about the bone issue, briefly, but they got it anyway b/c I'm sure they've eaten stuff that is far worse! I'll let you know if someone dies.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

While that is a risk, I would also mention that a chicken can just as easily pick up something in the yard that would do the same thing.  I understand the desire to provide the perfect and safest environment for our birds.  All of our husbandry practices, when you get right down to it involve risk assessment.  Does the risk of my action outweigh the perceived benefit????  I gave my birds some salmon this morning.  I gave up on eating it b/c it was so full of bones.  When I gave it to them, I thought about the bone issue, briefly, but they got it anyway b/c I'm sure they've eaten stuff that is far worse!  I'll let you know if someone dies.

You are right, for sure. But, after knowing one died from the chicken carcass, I'm just not giving them something that I know killed one. Since mine free range they can certainly pick up something that could piece the crop, I just don't purposely give it to them.

 

[FarmerTony]

It's 99.9% safe to feed them chicken. Chickens don't have as many prion diseases as mammals. Mostly because they are scavengers and thus prion prone allele's are selected against in nature. Mother hens routinely eat eggshells and broken or bad eggs, dead chicks, dead birds, etc.

I personally would put the stock water on the hog feed. I usually wait until they have just finished eating, then pour some stock water on their feed and like magic they will eat again, which stretches their stomach and makes them even hungrier.

 

[Choctawrabbits]

We raise rabbits. The other night I made soup with the front half of a rabbit and afterwards have the carcass to all the birds, chickens, ducks and goose. They all loved it. Seemed kind of gross but I know they all eat the mice that die in the water and stink bugs or whatever. Chickens are better at garbage disposal than any pig I ever knew. It's nice not to have to waste so much food.

 

[lazy gardener]

You are right, for sure. But, after knowing one died from the chicken carcass, I'm just not giving them something that I know killed one. Since mine free range they can certainly pick up something that could piece the crop, I just don't purposely give it to them.

Exactly, you are doing a risk assessment based on YOUR flock and YOUR experience, which supports my point EXACTLY!!!

It's 99.9% safe to feed them chicken. Chickens don't have as many prion diseases as mammals. Mostly because they are scavengers and thus prion prone allele's are selected against in nature. Mother hens routinely eat eggshells and broken or bad eggs, dead chicks, dead birds, etc.

I personally would put the stock water on the hog feed. I usually wait until they have just finished eating, then pour some stock water on their feed and like magic they will eat again, which stretches their stomach and makes them even hungrier.

Love your Avatar. Where can I find that kind of soup? They don't seem to carry it at my local Hannaford. I went to the customer service counter and asked for it, and they just gave me a funny look.

Ditto on eating stinky and gross stuff with dog diet. My dog searches out the moldy bits of grass poo that get spit out by the lawn mower when the grass is too wet to mow but it gets mowed anyways. You know: dry on the outside, covered with a bit of white mold, slimy and black on the inside, stinky. I imagine she thinks she's eating one of Forest Gump's chocolates. She's also fond of chicken bombs. That's why I won't let her kiss me on the lips.

 

[FarmerTony]

Love your Avatar. Where can I find that kind of soup? They don't seem to carry it at my local Hannaford. I went to the customer service counter and asked for it, and they just gave me a funny look.

It's available through amazon and other sites, but its actually a gag gift. The can just contains dirt. Although I would try it if it was really available and USDA inspected etc.I suppose I could make a batch of it since I trap a lot of possums and coons. One of my survival books has a recipe for "Wild Animal Whatever" that is literally mystery meat stew.

 

[Athaid]

I'm sure you can. There was someone in school who fed their pig sausages. I always thought it was wrong, but in this case I suppose it's better than wasting it. What you don't know won't hurt you, eh?

 

[pamonarch]

lol. i've actually fed mine beef and goat before and they like it!

i have been giving mine some deer burger...they are molting and it says its good for them for protein....they loved it too...