Feeding chickens mostly kitchen scraps?

[MizzPeabodyIV]

I have three young pullets. I decided to raise the chickens to have a few fresh eggs and for the experience. I've decided that I would like to mostly feed them kitchen scraps and I would like to know what to supplement the scraps with so that they get enough protein.

I understand that feeding scraps might cause less than optimal egg production and I'm okay with that I just want the occasional egg and I want the hens to be healthy. I'm not big on organics or anything, but I really dislike the use of soy in commercial chicken feed so I'd like to avoid it. I do let the chickens free range, but my suburban yard is tiny and doesn't offer enough to feed them I think.

Is there be particular grain that would be good to supplement the scraps with? Something easily accessible and not expensive?

Any major issues you foresee with my kitchen scrap plan? And by scraps I mean mostly fruit and vegetables, some leftover bread/rice/potato and occasionally meat if the dog doesn't eat all of it. For the most part the scraps will not be any processed food.

 

[TallyTaxMan]

That's a good question and I'd like to know the answer too. I was told under eight weeks to only feed chick starter and only feed "treats" sparingly but for a mature bird would a diet made up mostly of scraps be okay?

 

[lilee]

People have been raising chickens a long time before starter, grower, and layer feed came about. My neighbor across the street has 5bantams that strictly free range and get scraps. they seem to be healthy and happy. I would suggest getting a large bag of oats from the feed store and mixing that with some bird seed or just plain black sunflower seed. This shouldn't be very expensive and should last a long time. Also for a protein boost picking up a bag of feeder crickets once a week is worth the 10cents a cricket in entertainment.

 

[CedarAcres]

I'd feed them chick starter as they are growing for optimal development. And I think buying a bag of feed to supplement their diet would be a good idea, and it would take a while to go through a bag, since you only have three. They do sell soy free foods, but I'm not sure where they'd be available in your area (you could call around your local feed stores). But you can also mix your own foods, there are some great tutorials online if you search. I'm sure your chickens will be fine! Just watch them as you develop your feeding routine.

The only issue I'd see with feeding table scraps is feeding to much "filler" and not nutrition. Certain foods don't have much nutritional value, but they are super tasty to the chickens. Off the top of my head I think that bread & potatoes are two very filling but not nutritional.

 

[lilee]

I would also suggest giving them nutritional yeast and kelp meal as a supplement daily sprinkled across the scraps that would cover all your vitamins and minerals daily. they love clover and encountering that to grow in your yard would help supplement there diet.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

You could get a high protein non-medicated soy-free starter. This way you could feed a lot of scraps to supplement without the protein dropping too low. And, you would not be feeding the soy that you do not want. I personally feed a 20% protein soy-free, corn-free starter with a fish meal protein base and then supplement with wheat/barley/BOSS fodder mix.

I also always recommend farming your own meal worms. It is very very cheap and easy and a high protein snack that the chickens LOVE.

 

[Highcotton]

They also like green food. Weeds from the garden or beds are good for them especially Dandelions, Chickweed,Purslane, Lambsquarter etc. I feed mine chick starter but they come running running for anything green, Watermelon and Canaloupe rinds, Strawberries and Blueberries.

 

[Ain't No Sunshine]

I helped a grandma lady many years ago and at 83 she still had a flock of chickens and an acre and a half of garden she tended by herself with some help. She made a pot of cooked rolled barley for her birds every day. In that pot she also threw in all the scraps chickens won't eat, like potato skins, and all the root vegetable peelings, broccoli stems, chopped carrot tops, tough bits of this and that. The barley has something in it that is very beneficial to the birds. Also my birds love the wild birds' seeds. Especially the banties. I buy Costco's bird seed which now once again has a large amount of millet. Not good for most wild birds but the mountain pigeons and doves and chickens love it. I am going to cut back on layer crumbles and go more for the barley and scraps and a cup or so of pinto beans. Another good thing is to buy the 40 lb bags of black sunflower seeds, run them through the food processor and add that to their mush. The big birds eat the seeds hull and all, but the little birds leave it behind. When the processor is done the hulls just fall away in the food, or they eat it, but the protein in the seeds gets consumed. I think that is a great source of protein for them, that and the pintos.

 

[Ain't No Sunshine]

How do you grow your mealy worms?

 

[Bullitt]

The only issue I'd see with feeding table scraps is feeding to much "filler" and not nutrition. Certain foods don't have much nutritional value, but they are super tasty to the chickens. Off the top of my head I think that bread & potatoes are two very filling but not nutritional.

I would agree that potatoes do not offer much nutrition to chickens. But wheat bread does offer nutrition. It is Wheat bread. Chickens can live on a diet of mostly wheat. Now if you meant the plain white bread, I would agree that it offers little nutrition.