Cheep Grub

[Boonie Stomper]

Money can be very tight at times. Chickens can save a lot of money:
Free eggs
Free fertilizer
Free insect and spider control
Free weeding service
Free lawn de-thatching
Free turf aeration
Free entertainment
Free meat & feathers if called for...

But food can cost a lot when the birds are cooped up in winter. Here are some of the easiest ways to lower the pellet consumption and keep the chooks happier during colder bleaker days of the season.
Leftover Halloween pumpkins,
Scraps from preparing vegetables,
Bread crusts
Shells and scraps from cooked crustaceans,
Bruised or fermenting apples, berries and other non citrus fruit,
Doggie bags from eating out,
Wilted bagged greens,
Slightly stale crackers, nuts, etc.,
Freezer burned or other old frozen products (cook if raw meat contained).
This is just a sampling of what my flock likes.
Use common sense, though. If there is a lot of mold or rot put that in a compost to grow larvae instead for you birds. They will reward you.

 

[TwoCrows]

Nice! Also breaks up boredom. Chickens are more healthy mentally and physically when they have things to do.

 

[ngennetta]

Also fermenting feed! It adds probiotics and they eat less as the feed is wet and easier to digest

 

[Boonie Stomper]

Even salty or sugary things (stale chips or cereal, for instance) can be rinsed of excess salt / sugar, then given. I can't tell you how many times I've had a load of leftover potato fries on a big meal, that didn't go to waste but instead, egg production!
🌶 =

 

[Kiki]

Feeding so many "treats" is most likely going to cause serious health issues sooner rather than later.

A complete balanced diet (commercially made age appropriate) is the best food.

 

[Boonie Stomper]

Feeding so many "treats" is most likely going to cause serious health issues sooner rather than later.

A complete balanced diet (commercially made age appropriate) is the best food.

Ahem... You have absolutely no grounds to say that. Did you see ANYTHING in my posts suggesting quantities/bird/time period of ANY of the above "for example" suggested foods to save money on commercial feed with??? NO

Assuming one does not yet have sufficient knowledge of food nutrients and the needs of their flock, yes, it at least is easier to just buy pre-made appropriately labeled products, and they will ive you the minimum requirements for the target consumer.
If you ate nothing yourself but MRE rations (all one variety, no less) you'd survive. You would still lay eggs if you were a leying hen.
But, you eggs would be inferior quality and you would not be very content.

My flock always have that feed, calcium and grit available. They like pecking the pumpkin in the coop. They don't live on it nor do they get more than a handfull of simple starchy stuff between them per day (less when its warm outside). They free range whenever I'm out working in the yard, too. I bet you must agree that bugs weeds spiders and grass are not treats in the sense that their nutritional health could be adversely impacted.

Peruse this: https://www.nation.co.ke/business/s...griculture/2301238-2832858-4gvraez/index.html

 

[Lizzy733]

Perhaps a small disclaimer advising everything in moderation and being mindful of the nutritional benefit of the kinds of scraps being fed as well as not over-offering, particularly for production breeds where small dips in nutrition ratios can lead to health problems quite quickly. I say this mainly as newer owners looking to cut costs may misinterpret this post as a way to substitute for quality feed and cut out their main food supply as opposed to what it is - suggestions for healthy treats and ways to add forage variety over winter.

 

[Boonie Stomper]

You are right on, Lizzy. I hope no one would make such bad assumptions as to use a free for all anything goes approach to caring for their birds.

But then, look at how some people feed themselves and their families so much junk (labeled healthy or not) that we have obesity epidemic and related health crises in developed countries... Remember "Supersize Me"? And some decide to raise some chicks...

That said, at least if they are reading these BYC forums, then hopefully they will learn good feeding and other care habits.

 

[Boonie Stomper]

Here is a very comprehensive article about the commercial feed production which should open some eyes.

http://www.poultryhub.org/nutrition/feed-ingredients/

Perhaps the USDA nutrient databases for what we eat will help us eat healthier, too.