Eat with chickens

[3KillerBs]

Used eggshells, I would bake them for a while so it's easier to smash them into finer pieces. If we directly throw them into the compost, they will remain that shape for years.

I smash my eggshells by hand then put them into the same separate feeder I use for the calcium grit/oystershell.

 

[RoyalChick]

I smash my eggshells by hand then put them into the same separate feeder I use for the calcium grit/oystershell.

Me too. Although I actually have a buffet line so they can select oyster shell or crushed eggshells as they choose. Spoiled brats!

 

[Boppo]

This thread is like visiting a gourmet chef's blog! Gourmet chef to the chickens!

 

[Ascholten]

I'll sometimes take their crumble and wet it, so it's like a mushy glob of dough. I do this because the 'crumbles' are really terrible, it's more like the dust and crap from the assembly line they swept into a bag and sold it to you. Even when I get the 'whole' pellets, half of them are busted up or dust in the bottom of the bags.

I really hate wasting all this that I paid good money for ! So I'll pour water on it and make it into a thick glob you can squeeze. This way they eat it ALL, the dust does not just get walked and ground into the mud and lost. IT's also softer, smooshier, so the whole gizzard thing, there's nothing to grind up really, so the oyster shells, are more for nutritional value really. I'll also sprinkle ground oyster shells on top of the wet food every day too, and let them pick what they want/need to eat and so far, everyone seems happy and I am wasting a lot less food.

Aaron

 

[RoyalChick]

I'll sometimes take their crumble and wet it, so it's like a mushy glob of dough. I do this because the 'crumbles' are really terrible, it's more like the dust and crap from the assembly line they swept into a bag and sold it to you. Even when I get the 'whole' pellets, half of them are busted up or dust in the bottom of the bags.

I really hate wasting all this that I paid good money for ! So I'll pour water on it and make it into a thick glob you can squeeze. This way they eat it ALL, the dust does not just get walked and ground into the mud and lost. IT's also softer, smooshier, so the whole gizzard thing, there's nothing to grind up really, so the oyster shells, are more for nutritional value really. I'll also sprinkle ground oyster shells on top of the wet food every day too, and let them pick what they want/need to eat and so far, everyone seems happy and I am wasting a lot less food.

Aaron

I do the same but I use the whey from the kefir instead of water. I hate waste too.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Two types of feeds I am using currently and will order bulk soon. The quality is quite convincing, and my hens are not picky. Sometimes when I can't stay home and make them breakfast, my daughter just gave them these feeds, the hens still finish everything.

Major feed

Supplement Feed, I used them for the fermented feed

Oyster Shells

I just received some dried black soldier fly larvae from a local supplier - the quality is just impressive, super clean!

 

[Sally PB]

I'll sometimes take their crumble and wet it, so it's like a mushy glob of dough. I do this because the 'crumbles' are really terrible, it's more like the dust and crap from the assembly line they swept into a bag and sold it to you. Even when I get the 'whole' pellets, half of them are busted up or dust in the bottom of the bags

I save the small crumbles and dust that are in the bottom of the chickens' bowls in a separate container. Then I use this for "chickie snack." I wet it down as @Ascholten does, and put any kitchen/garden scraps on top. Chickie snack is usually in the late afternoon, so I guess I could say I feed them twice a day, as I put out fresh dry food every morning. Very little of their feed gets wasted.

I do the same but I use the whey

I use whey if I have it (leftover from making yogurt), and sometimes kombucha with extra scobys I have.

The way prices are going on everything, I may save my coffee grounds in a separate compost container and give the chickens everything else, unless there's something icky that they shouldn't have. I don't like avocados (shame on me) and I'll be saving citrus peels for kindling now that I've heard about how great they are.

We throw out bread more than I'd like to see. I'm GF, and there are extra buns or heels left over that DH won't and I can't eat. I haven't been giving them to the chickens except about 1x a month, as a really special treat, and then 1 heel torn into bits for the 7 of them.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

I save the small crumbles and dust that are in the bottom of the chickens' bowls in a separate container. Then I use this for "chickie snack." I wet it down as @Ascholten does, and put any kitchen/garden scraps on top. Chickie snack is usually in the late afternoon, so I guess I could say I feed them twice a day, as I put out fresh dry food every morning. Very little of their feed gets wasted.

I use whey if I have it (leftover from making yogurt), and sometimes kombucha with extra scobys I have.

The way prices are going on everything, I may save my coffee grounds in a separate compost container and give the chickens everything else, unless there's something icky that they shouldn't have. I don't like avocados (shame on me) and I'll be saving citrus peels for kindling now that I've heard about how great they are.

We throw out bread more than I'd like to see. I'm GF, and there are extra buns or heels left over that DH won't and I can't eat. I haven't been giving them to the chickens except about 1x a month, as a really special treat, and then 1 heel torn into bits for the 7 of them.

Yes, and I believe the prices will keep going high for some while, the raw materials, fertilizers, and transportation

 

[Sally PB]

Yes, and I believe the prices will keep going high for some while, the raw materials, fertilizers, and transportation

I'm afraid you're right.

Last year I put myself on a $100/week budget (for two people) at the grocery store. That includes food, but also dish soap, new socks, light bulbs, everything I buy at that store. I managed to come in under $100/week as an average for the year, by quite a bit. It'll be a lot harder this year.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

I'm afraid you're right.

Last year I put myself on a $100/week budget (for two people) at the grocery store. That includes food, but also dish soap, new socks, light bulbs, everything I buy at that store. I managed to come in under $100/week as an average for the year, by quite a bit. It'll be a lot harder this year.

I just learned from the news yesterday, due to the dramatically increasing of the fertilizer price, some farmers decided to give up planting corns and choose soybeans. Don't know, but many things might change a lot with this crisis.