Emergency - oh crap I ran out of food - homemade feed

[OScarlet]

I don't have the space to store extra bags and recently we have had a problem with pests eating chicken food at night. Actually it could be our black lab/BC cross who is eternally hungry.

Yesterday we ran out of food and I couldn't get to the store.

So I'm looking around my kitchen for things I can feed the chooks while I go to the store today to supplement their foraging in the garden (we are in So Cal so there is plenty of grass and worms around right now)

They had cooked oatmeal with an egg stirred in, melon seeds, squishy strawberries, chia seeds and chopped cucumber ends. They seemed pretty happy with it and I'm not going to stress about what they eat for one day. If I had thought about it I could have run to the store and bought wheat berries to soak and ferment. I have live sauerkraut in the fridge.

Any good tips on what to feed your ladies if you run out of food?

Wondering how far out of balance my food was.

 

[crazyfeathers]

My chickens get any leftovers, some bread, vegetables, meal worms, rice, you name it , they eat it. Never had any I'll effects. Lol I don't have leftover meal worms lol. I have thrown a deer carcass in their run and they will pick it clean. Chickens are excellent feathers and will eat about anything.

 

[Guitar Girl]

We feed ours bread along with their normal food. They also receive any leftovers we have or get from our friends. Usually they can eat anything you can but there are a few things that you should not give them. Here is a link to what they shouldn't eat https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/494101/what-is-toxic-to-chickens .

 

[enola]

I have fed mine corn bread, boiled eggs, slices of bread, popcorn (popped or not popped). In a pinch, I have fed them dog food soaked with water until soft. Do you have any other livestock?

 

[Naser]

For future, try to get a high capacity feeder. some of them will prevent animals eating your feed. "treadle feeder and trigger happy chicken feeder"
For now wild birds feed and most human food is suitable for chickens, if you love them cook some past or rice with mince yummy

 

[Naser]

Problem
God bless your dog, will eat chickens feed and won't even protect it.

 

[OScarlet]

Crisis over, got to feedstore and bought food and peanuts. DH wanted to wait until tomorrow I said he was welcome to if he wanted to wake up from his afternoon nap with the beak of a hungry chicken between his eyes!

 

[Peppercorngal]

We learned one year when we faced immediate evacuation (but didn't go, it's a long story) and we were on our last bag of chicken feed, to never get down to one bag of any animal food! We now keep at least two bags of dog food, and two of chicken feed on hand at all times! Because of our location and constant fires, we get "stuck" at home and cannot get to town to buy feed. Now we are ready for a couple weeks at least without leaving. Likewise our freezer is stocked with people food as well!

 

[PhillyDelcoChix]

This happened to me last week. An order that normal takes 2 days ended up taking 10. My hens are 8 weeks old and their food need keeps increasing.
But in case this does happen to anyone else...
My hens really enjoyed cooked oatmeal. I mixed in some Greek yogurt.
The next day I cooked them quinoa and mixed in cooked sweet potato and that went really quickly.
I think the key is to, yes, not fall behind again. Having an extra bag will help.
But also, they eat lots of things, as long as it isn’t for long, some healthful foods will keep them full and happy until feed arrives again.

 

[OScarlet]

We have a treadle feeder, that is what is being eaten from. We have also tried hanging bucket feeders and a bunch of other stuff. Part of it is our dog is extremely smart and will get to anything plus racoons, possums etc.