Can Chickens eat Shrimp Shells / Tails?

[Trendy Chicks]

Curious...
Can Chickens eat Shrimp Shells / Tails?

 

[mags247]

We just headed 70 lbs of shrimp. We did it outside of course in this beautiful autumn weather. We were surrounded by chickens and they started picking shrimp heads out of the scrap bucket. So we ended up tossing even the heads to the chickens. There were 36 of them around us. They picked them apart very skillfully even though it was the first time they ever had any. We ended up dumping one 2 Gal. bucket of heads for them (not looking forward to the smell if they don't eat them all) and 1 bucket each in my 2 compost barrels (not looking forward to that smell either).
I don't feed the heads to my dog or cats as they can get seriously hurt trying to eat them, but they do love the shrimp. One of the cats devoured about 20 really small shrimp that we tossed to her and the other cat said that he would like his shrimp steamed with some butter cut in small pieces. I am so glad they are not spoiled at all

 

[catfish/okie]

never thought of thisbut I dont think it would hurt em Ive give mine some leftover salmon patties.

 

[ozark hen]

mine love them

 

[SilkieTime]

Do you cut them up?

 

[GardenWeasel]

Mine have had them twice with no ill effect. They will pick them apart.

 

[Trendy Chicks]

It seems like they'd have fun picking at them.

And it also seems like they might be good for them - maybe high in calcium or something - does any one know?

Do you cook them first - or can they come off raw shrimp?

 

[txchickie]

Yes, they can. I usually give them to our dogs first, but I've tossed a few to the chickies. Raw.

 

[Oosik]

I fed some shrimp tails this morning and the tails were gone in minutes. The other day we had Alaskan king crab and had a considerable amount of shell debris after that dinner. I put the crab shells in the the outdoor grill on a cookie sheet and baked the shells until dry. The next day I put them in a plastic bag and crushed all the shells and threw them in with the chickens. That night the shells were all gone and the birds are all still doing well.

 

[elmo]

Mine turned up their little beaks at shrimp tails this afternoon; they preferred scratching for bugs in leaf litter.