Eat with chickens

[Iluveggers]

Mine go CRAZY for bell pepper cores!

 

[samanthaoverton]

I cooked most of the time two to three meals every day, so we always have very sufficient kitchen scraps. I loved to save kitchen scraps for adding into the chicken feed.

Our hens have their commercial feed, and on top of that, I add fermented grains and whatever originally belonged to the compost bins.

Now I am "addicted" to save scraps for them, and it's also a kind of reducing waste. For example, the apples we had this morning - the peels, head and end belong to the chicken; and the cores (apple seeds are slightly toxic) go to the compost.
*However, in this photo, the small bucket in the right side is a temporary residence of black solider fly larvae that just arrived yesterday.
View attachment 2998677
Homegrown flower sprouts - besides the larger leaves, the hens also got some fair share of the sprouts.
View attachment 2998684
I used smaller containers or glass jars to collect and store the ingredients.
View attachment 2998685

View attachment 2998699
View attachment 2998687

So, their breakfasts are always colorful.
View attachment 2998700
View attachment 2998705
They are healthy and laying very well. Besides the kitchen scraps, they also have quite often meat/organs/eggs in their diet in the winter, when the annual molting and the bad weather come together.
View attachment 2998709

View attachment 2998717

Only our compost bins are starving - hens become their strongest competitors in the winter time. However, I love such food preparation process.

**potato peels went to the compost, unless when I have time to fry them for a speical treat.
View attachment 2998733

Woow wish my compost looked as pretty as your chicken take out! It's an eggshell coffee ground fiasco. I have a lot of compost. My girls get more in the summer when there's fresher veg in the house. Or 6 gigantic tomatoes or tigger melons weren't being watched..their lucky day..

 

[Sally PB]

I just lob them into the run -- yelling "Food Bomb" as I do so

 

[3KillerBs]

They have learned that it means goodies on the way.

 

[Sally PB]

They have learned that it means goodies on the way.

Yeah, I figured. Still made me laugh.

Mine know what it means when I sing the "Chickie Snack" song.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Is there a reason that you grind up the scraps? I've found that finely chopping scraps gets them a bit spoiled so that they don't want to take the time to eat unchopped scraps. If possible, I would avoid grinding or even fine chopping scraps - they may get to the point where they don't eat it if it isn't ground.

 

[LizzzyJo]

When I was a kid we always saved orange peels to toss into the fire for color and scent.

color of the peel or does it change the flame a bit like those bundles?

 

[3KillerBs]

color of the peel or does it change the flame a bit like those bundles?

I've honestly forgotten. In my adult life I've only had closed woodstoves and gas fireplaces.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

BTW, potatoes and their skins aren't poisonous to chickens either.

That one likes to persist for some reason

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Today's brunch, commercial feed and fermented grains are underneath the fresh ingredients.
View attachment 3005752
Also some dried herbs and flowers I collected during the growing seasons last year.
View attachment 3005753

I cooked most of the time two to three meals every day, so we always have very sufficient kitchen scraps. I loved to save kitchen scraps for adding into the chicken feed.

Our hens have their commercial feed, and on top of that, I add fermented grains and whatever originally belonged to the compost bins.

Now I am "addicted" to save scraps for them, and it's also a kind of reducing waste. For example, the apples we had this morning - the peels, head and end belong to the chicken; and the cores (apple seeds are slightly toxic) go to the compost.
*However, in this photo, the small bucket in the right side is a temporary residence of black solider fly larvae that just arrived yesterday.
View attachment 2998677
Homegrown flower sprouts - besides the larger leaves, the hens also got some fair share of the sprouts.
View attachment 2998684
I used smaller containers or glass jars to collect and store the ingredients.
View attachment 2998685

View attachment 2998699
View attachment 2998687

So, their breakfasts are always colorful.
View attachment 2998700
View attachment 2998705
They are healthy and laying very well. Besides the kitchen scraps, they also have quite often meat/organs/eggs in their diet in the winter, when the annual molting and the bad weather come together.
View attachment 2998709

View attachment 2998717

Only our compost bins are starving - hens become their strongest competitors in the winter time. However, I love such food preparation process.

**potato peels went to the compost, unless when I have time to fry them for a speical treat.
View attachment 2998733

And I thought I went above and beyond! So fantastic! You have some very healthy, happy chickens I bet