Feeding Hens with Restaurant Scraps

[JacinLarkwell]

I used to manage a Pizza Hut, the dough is all shipped in frozen as pucks and sheets. They let it defrost overnight in pans, then (for some of the dough) place it in a proofing oven. Its good for 48 hours after that, though 36 is more accurate.

Anything that isn't sold after 48 hours is usually baked off, bagged up, frozen, and donated to a local shelter as a tax write off for the store.

at least, that was the business plan 30 years ago.

Okay. I worked at a domino's a few years ago, wasn't sure how similar pizza hut was when it came to disposing expired product

 

[3KillerBs]

Not to be a wet blanket, but in this day of lawsuits and liabilities you might find places reluctant to allow you to have their discards for fear of being sued if something happens.

 

[Matejka]

A grocery store would be better. Less germs.

Grocery stores are not allowed to let you have produce scraps. FDA laws. If it's expired, or inedible, it can't be provided (donated/sold/accessible) to the public.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Many states have "good Samaritan laws" that protect someone from being sued if they donate, try to help, etc. in good faith. Check your local laws.

That being said, I find that working with smaller organizations is more fruitful than larger ones....think small local restaurant, farm stand/farmers market, small food bank, etc.

The best way to get started is to go to the place, spend some money, and ask them what they do with their food scraps. The worst they can say is that you can't have them. If they're open to the idea, the bucket idea works well for me.

As far as what kind of restaurants, I'd avoid fast food, pizza places, Chinese food (too salty), and aim for the kind of stuff you want to feed your chickens - places that do a lot of salads, grilled meats, etc.

Reduce waste. Feed chickens. Feed Soil. It's a very good thing.

 

[BlueBaby]

Reduce waste. Feed chickens. Feed Soil. It's a very good thing.

That wording should be on a t-shirt!

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

That wording should be on a t-shirt!

I'd buy and wear it. I wouldn't even be the chicken or compost shirt I own that most embarrasses my wife when I wear it in public.

You can add "Feed People" to the list. I've donated somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 dozen eggs to food pantries in the last few years from the system I have in place. I am currently rebuilding my flock and look forward to picking that back up again soon.

 

[BlueBaby]

I'd buy and wear it. I wouldn't even be the chicken or compost shirt I own that most embarrasses my wife when I wear it in public.

You can add "Feed People" to the list. I've donated somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 dozen eggs to food pantries in the last few years from the system I have in place. I am currently rebuilding my flock and look forward to picking that back up again soon.

I'd buy one or two of them t-shirts myself! I also donated extra eggs that I had on hand before to the local food pantry during the covid essentials thing when the store shelves were pretty empty.