Eat with chickens

[3KillerBs]

I am curious as to why you process the scraps into fine pieces?

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

I am curious as to why you process the scraps into fine pieces?

Mmm, I also give the scraps or green waste from homegrown veggies/safe weeds directly in the run. I know they can handle almost everything by themselves.

So both methods are working here in parallel.

It's just a thought that finer pieces with their original feed will be easier to eat and digest diversed ingredients.

 

[Iluveggers]

Wow. You are very committed to feeding your chooks!! I just put my scraps in a bowl and chuck 'em in the pen!

Me too! Maybe I shall try the other way this summer when I am out of school and have more time!

 

[3KillerBs]

Mmm, I also give the scraps or green waste from homegrown veggies/safe weeds directly in the run. I know they can handle almost everything by themselves.

So both methods are working here in parallel.

It's just a thought that finer pieces with their original feed will be easier to eat and digest diversed ingredients.

Trying to keep them from just picking out the favorite bits?

That makes sense. It just didn't occur to me.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

The argument against chopping up the food fine other than the additional labor is really that they can’t easily pick out what they want/need. This would be more of an issue if there was some items they shouldn’t eat, which does not appear to be the case here.

There may also be some “thrill of the hunt” aspect…tearing a head of lettuce is more entertaining than eating a pile of shredded lettuce.

 

[RoyalChick]

The argument against chopping up the food fine other than the additional labor is really that they can’t easily pick out what they want/need. This would be more of an issue if there was some items they shouldn’t eat, which does not appear to be the case here.

There may also be some “thrill of the hunt” aspect…tearing a head of lettuce is more entertaining than eating a pile of shredded lettuce.

I often hang a cabbage for them to peck at and it gives them lots of fun and exercise (I hang it just a little higher than comfortable so there is lots of jumping involved).
I have tried @Phaedra Geiermann's method over the last few days - mainly because it looks so beautiful and I thought it would be fun. It actually wasn't that much extra work - I was making shredded cabbage and carrot for me anyway (sort of a slaw recipe) and I just kept the bits I didn't use at the side and then at the end ran the food processor with the discarded parts and gave it to the chickens. I have to say they seem to love it and they ate the carrots which they normally mostly ignore.
A good time was had by all!
I don't eat as well as Phaedra and her family obviously do (my bad!) but I will definitely do this again when I am cooking properly.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Ya, as each way has its benefits, customizing one according to my living style and conditions is my favorite way to take care of my world. I will never stick to one specific rule or principle.

I also care about fun very much (In fact, it's hard for me to carry on things without the "fun" element ), so I tried to build those food towers in the run. Cabbages, pumpkins, entire sunflower/dahlia plants, and all kinds of safe green waste after removing from the planting area, etc. - all belong to their fun.

Now we also have quails. Those young quails enjoy the best part of the scraps (and chopped even finer) as they might not be as good as chickens about the magic power of digesting.

So the veggies are often shared by quails, chickens, dogs, and us on a daily basis. It's from a motivation to prepare the family meals with many good ingredients. Based on that, I build our way to grow, source, and feed quails, chickens, dogs, cats, humans, plants, and several compost piles.

Personally, I like the way he used in his garden very much; however, I won't copy his way.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Following this cool thread!

 

[Ascholten]

Late to the thread but, another nice thing about composting IN the chicken run is, they do most the work, they'll pick and scratch and turn it up very well for you as they search for the tidbits of edibles and bugs in the compost, now if I can only teach them how to shovel it into a wheelbarrow once every few months we'd be good to go !

Good article though, it's always a good day when you can find other uses for the food. Yes even composting is good but it still kind of feels like you are throwing good food away.

 

[micstrachan]

I love giving my hens fruit and veggie scraps. One of my longterm goals here is to have fruit trees among the chickens and preserve loads of fruit every year. And, of course, flock will gladly help with the cleanup of fallen fruit and rejected cores.

Also, as for the apple seeds, my understanding is that they do have cyanide, but that is sealed behind the hull of the seed. Poses a mild risk to humans since we would likely grind them up when chewing (it's that strange bitter taste you get when you eat the core), but the chickens, lacking any teeth, would likely just pass the seed unharmed through their gut and out the other end.

But wouldn’t the gizzard grind it up?