Feeding Chickens Crackers

[Bayrider16]

Well I have made up two buckets of treat feed tht i give my gals.. they rlly like it, and u should try it too. My first mix (which I call Corn Mix) is mixed with corn, corn chex, and crackers. I use a meat grinder to grind up the ingregients for all my feed btw. I use 2 or 3 crackers, about a hand full (or maybe half) of corn, and a handful of chex.
My second mix has dry oatmeal, life cinnimon ceral, and cherrios. About a handful of oatmeal (dry), about a handful of cherriors and life ceral. Ur chickens will go nuts!!

Btw I give them about 2 or 3 oz. Of one of the mixes per three chickens, or just a handful!

 

[Bayrider16]

Btw ur chickens are gorgous!! Very cute!

 

[newbie32]

I know this thread is old but....I just gave my 5 week olds their first treat-a crumbled Ritz cracker! I think they will love me now Mwuahaha!

 

[chickens deserve life]

Can you give your chickens oyster crackers?

 

[twilightgecko]

Can you give your chickens oyster crackers?

sure.. might have to break em up first tho.. my girls love snacking with me.. moderation tho.. they LOVE oats..

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I am just curious, is it ok that I feed my chickens crackers two or three times a day. i just cant resist. They all come running to me and jump in my lap every time I go outside... But is it healthy?....

Let us agree that feeding your birds table scraps
is not in and of itself... UNHEALTHY !

However feeding your flock table scraps can be deadly if it is not done the correct way.
The danger that table scraps poses is that they take the place of foods in a chicken's diet that are scientifically proven to be good for chickens and replaces these foods with "STUFF" that may at best are unhelpful and occasionally harmful. This is especially so if these people foods replace a significant portion of the starter, grower, or laying pellets that have been formulated for optimal chicken health.

In the following "FREERANGE" is defined as free (as in without additional monetary cost to the chicken keeper) If allowed to free range or range freely a small flock requires free or 24-7 unlimited access to 25 acres of productive land to feed themselves for 365 days. Any of you who wish to argue this point on the basis of predation should start by explaining why granny or great granny had gramps off any chicken predators that had the stones to show their faces or their fangs around your ancestor's homestead. I have NEVER read an account of a farmer from say 100 or more years ago relocating a fox, coon, bobcat, hawk, or any other chicken assassin unless said chicken killer was dispatched to THE PROMISED LAND.

 

[Sugarbreatsfarms]

Be careful with onions and garlic aswell

 

[Sugarbreatsfarms]

Be weary of onions and garlic aswell

 

[Al Gerhart]

Lord this is a very old thread. But, silly people, crackers are for quackers.

I once had the bright idea of putting some domestic mallards on a big pond I had on 40 acres way out, a mile from the nearest house or barn. We would go out to work on the land on weekends with the kids, all very small, and they would howl with laughter when I told them if the ducks got hungry they could walk down to the small town grocery and buy some crackers. It was a running joke along with, how would they pay for the crackers, with their bills.

 

[Altairsky]

However feeding your flock table scraps can be deadly if it is not done the correct way.
The danger that table scraps poses is that they take the place of foods in a chicken's diet that are scientifically proven to be good for chickens

This is very incorrect.
First let's not confuse "science" with "industries needs".

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/

The industrial food made for production chickens is scientifically designed to make the birds lay as many eggs as possible, at the minimum cost, guaranteeing a decent health for no more 2 years, which is the maximum age a production bird is allowed to live.
It's not designed to keep a chicken alive and healthy for longer than what the industry needs.

Now we all agree that crackers are junk food. It's junk food for people and so it is for chickens. But no chicken ever died for not eating processed feed. My chickens would have died centuries ago, considering that none of my grandparents, parents, great-grandparents chickens ever ate any crumbled or pelleted stuff. And as for longevity, when I was 6yo I had a pet hen (white leghorn). My grandma was not allowed to cull and process it. That hen lived for many many years, until she eventually got run over my my uncle's tractor. But by that time I was grown up enough that I left my grandparents and stayed at home alone! That's how long that leghorn lived, without eating processed feed!