Composting chicken run

[aart]

This thread has taken an interesting turn towards the pearl clutching concern-mongering.

There's always a few

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

say one of your scraps is meat, it can give chickens salmonella even if the animal did not have it.

So, if the meat doesn't have salmonella on it, and the chickens/run don't have salmonella...where does it suddenly come from when you feed it to them?

People have been feeding scraps to chickens, and using compost-methods as described in this thread, for CENTURIES, and somehow flock and farmer all seemed to survive.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Rotten food scraps/compost can cause botulism but not likely salmonella.
Where are you getting this information?

And my understanding is that the botulism is really only possible in an anaerobic (lacking oxygen) setup, not aerobic (with oxygen). Good compost is aerobic, although a poorly maintained pile (too many greens, not enough carbon) can certainly become anaerobic.

So, everything I understand is that yes, there is a chance lots of things can happen....but if you're even a tiny bit careful, the chances are VERY minimal.

I mean, I could get struck by lightening out feeding my chickens, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that's not likely what's gonna git me!

 

[Cryss]

Did you know that white potatoes are toxic to chickens.

Yup. I have my list of things one shouldn't feed chickens on the fridge so family members remember too.

say one of your scraps is meat, it can give chickens salmonella even if the animal did not have it.

I did mention vegetables, grass, weeds. I don't include meats except an occasional bowl with some bits of leftover cooked meat for a protein boost. They get cooked eggs on occasion and they get all the egg shells. I don't think vegetables get salmonella on their own. They get it from contaminated fertilizer applied to the grown vegetable.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902221812.htm

 

[1muttsfan]

I throw about anything that I eat into the pen, as well as peelings, cores, overripe stuff, and fish carcasses after the fillets are removed (uncooked, fresh caught that is). I would not feed other raw meat or spoiled food.

If you use bedding (from coop or run) in a garden, it would be safer if you aged it outside the coop/run before applying it to a vegetable garden.

 

[gtaus]

You have it right. White potatoes aren't toxic to chickens. The green skinned ones (caused by exposure to sunlight when they're growing) are toxic to people and animals....unless they're cooked.

This thread has taken an interesting turn towards the pearl clutching concern-mongering.

Thanks for the confirmation on the green potatoes issue. I just keep telling myself that chickens are omnivores in the wild, and too many good people keeping chickens treat them as vegetarians. But, part of the reason I got chickens, was to eat those kitchen scraps and make compost for the garden. Getting eggs is the bonus for me.

I have even fed my chickens fish remains after cleaning the fish we catch on the lake. I can't say they were big fans of fresh fish, but they would peck at it a little bit. But they were only about 10 weeks old this summer, so maybe next summer they might like the fish better. I always removed any uneaten meat scraps at night to prevent attracting predators. Especially with yummy, smelly, fish remains.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I give meat scraps to my chickens all the time. I figure if it was good enough to eat for me and my wife, then it's OK for the chickens.

Same. If my kids eat it, I'm pretty sure it wont' kill a chicken.

Most of the "concern" with feeding chickens veggie scraps is that it throws off the mix as far as protein and a few other nutrients are concerned. Turns out, most of those can be counteracted with the addition of animal protein.

 

[Cryss]

Thanks for the confirmation on the green potatoes issue. I just keep telling myself that chickens are omnivores in the wild, and too many good people keeping chickens treat them as vegetarians. But, part of the reason I got chickens, was to eat those kitchen scraps and make compost for the garden. Getting eggs is the bonus for me.

I have even fed my chickens fish remains after cleaning the fish we catch on the lake. I can't say they were big fans of fresh fish, but they would peck at it a little bit. But they were only about 10 weeks old this summer, so maybe next summer they might like the fish better. I always removed any uneaten scraps at night to prevent attracting predators. Especially with yummy, smelly, fish remains.

so you clean your run floor of kitchen scraps at night? Don't they become compost in the run? I guess I'm getting confused, the title is about composting in the run. Is that only for chicken poo?

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I'm such as bad fisherman, that I was working under the mistaken impression for a number of years that fish were extinct. I'd hear about them, but never see one.

I'm with you on the "eggs as a bonus" thing, although what a bonus.

Maybe I'm nuts, but I still think chickens can save the world. I often describe them as "magic natural machines that can turn landfill-bound protein and carbohydrates into nitrogen fertilizer and healthy, fresh food".

 

[gtaus]

so you clean your run floor of kitchen scraps at night? Don't they become compost in the run? I guess I'm getting confused, the title is about composting in the run. Is that only for chicken poo?

Oh, I edited that post to read "meat scraps are removed", I leave vegetable scraps where they are to compost in the run. Meat scraps left overnight will attract predators that I don't want around my chickens. Hope that makes it clearer.