Feeding chickens off your own plate... Can you do it?

[Skip]

I'm trying to be more self-sufficient right now, and I was wondering, can you feed chickens food if it's been on your plate? Can my chooks get diseases from me? I feel perfectly healthy, and my chickens are exposed to me on a regular basis. They already probably have resistance to my germs. What do you think? Do you do it?

Note: I won't be putting the ACTUAL PLATE I ate off out with them. My family would kill me if I did.

 

[thebritt]

I give mine anything but meat. Just throw it out there and they'll eat what they like. Wouldn't worry about germs, assuming your not regurgitating for them! (humor).

 

[Skip]

Thank you!

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

Since the dishes all get put through the dishwasher, many times I just scrape leftovers onto one of our plates and set it out for them. Haven't had a problem yet. I'll even share a piece of melon with them.

 

[Dar]

I barely use my composter anymore...I have 10 composters on legs

they get everything from plate scrapings and leftovers, and meat too!

right now I am also giving them a wee bit of cat food for added protein cause i think they are about to start molting...(they are looking pretty rough now)

 

[cmom]

My birds would love to get into my compost piles, if I let them. They spread it out so it doesn't get to cook naturally and I have to keep raking it back up into a pile so I try to keep them out.

 

[fuzziebutt]

My flockers are finicky eaters, but I do give them meat, BBQ ribs will cause a feeding frenzy, and so will hot dogs. I don't give them much, and the ribs have the sauce washed off them. And they love peaches, or anything that I can pull a bite off of and give to them.

 

[muddler6]

There are some "don'ts", like raw potatoes, citrus, onions, but most anything else is fair game. In cold months I take warm oatmeal and other goodies for them too. It is good for cleaning out the fringe, just don't give them spoiled food.

 

[ozark hen]

Well, when we sit at the picnic table and the chickens are free ranging.........we don't have a chance! They think the plates of food are for them only! We have to run them off.

I throw out all the table scraps...again here not meat...into the run or somewhere in the yard when they are free ranging.

 

[Akane]

Mine get all my leftovers even meat (not raw). I generally use paper plates so when I'm done I just set it in the coop or the pen for the indoor chickens and throw the plate on the burn pile the next day.