Feeding Bluegills to Laying Hens

[kev_n_jena]

Hi All,

My wife and I came home from a canoe trip on which we caught 6 bluegill. We had intended to clean them for eating later but that didn't happen. I left them in the fish basket and put it in one of our rain barrels. The next morning only one bluegill had survived. I put it in our 100 gal. water tank to eat mosquito larva and I fed the other 5 dead bluegill to our laying hens. I'm guessing it's better for them than store bought feed and higher in protein. Any thoughts on the subject?

What do you think about feeding fresh bluegill to them once or twice per week? We have a pond full of them and it's free food.

Kev n Jena

 

[chickenlovefever]

Personally, I dont think its a good idea.A Chicken's intestines are very thin, and a fish bone could puntcure them and cause hemorhaging.

 

[Denninmi]

Honestly, I doubt that fish bones would be a problem from a bluegill. They are small fish, the bones are pretty soft anyway, and the grit and acid of the gizzard should break them up enough to not be a problem. I figure anything that can eat sharp stones and oyster shell is pretty tough.

I think they would probably be a fine protein source.

How did the birds like them? Did they eat them?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

We've tried giving ours fish before and they didn't touch them.

 

[kev_n_jena]

Quote:
Those were my thoughts also. In the Philippines, chickens get fish bones fed to them everyday.

Our chickens are on full feed 24/7 so they're never overly hungry. I fed them table scraps at the same time as the blugills. I cut a couple of them in half and the chickens went after those pretty well. They weren't sure what to do with the others. I went back out about an hour later and they had pretty much consumed all the edible fish parts.

Kev n Jena