Feeding scraps to chickens

[Kafween]

I am wondering, I’ve been told you can feed chickens most scraps. My chickens won’t eat most scraps. They are 6 months old, will they eventually? Thanks!

 

[Kiki]

I am wondering, I’ve been told you can feed chickens most scraps. My chickens won’t eat most scraps. They are 6 mont old, will they eventually? Thanks!

Sure you can but keep it to only a small amount. It's better for them to have a complete balanced diet ( think commercially made chicken feed.). Feeding 'treats' takes away from the balanced diet which can lead to fat chickens. Fat chickens have problems which can kill.

 

[getaclue]

It depends on the scraps, and don't feed them over 10% of their diet in scraps. Scraps are not optimum nutrition, which they need for egg production.

 

[annaBsChick]

I would be wary about feeding lots of scraps to chickens, it can offset the nutritional balance of the feed. Also, some things are toxic...like never feed avocado or peach pits, etc. Here is a full list - http://www.chickendvm.com/toxic.php

 

[Alaskan]

I am wondering, I’ve been told you can feed chickens most scraps. My chickens won’t eat most scraps. They are 6 mont old, will they eventually? Thanks!

Chickens can be highly suspicious of new things.

Sometimes if you add the same thing repeatedly, they will get used to it and finally try it.

Another thing to try is put something that they like on top of something new that they keep refusing to try.

 

[cottontail farm]

I keep a little pail next to the sink and every house scrap (think edible, not like coffee grounds) goes into it; sandwich crusts, strawberry tops, dropped cheese poofs, scrambled eggs, the pasta stuck to the bottom of the pan, whatever. They love all of it, it cuts down on waste and feed cost and I believe it makes them happier with a more diverse diet. They all love to see me coming but this is probably a couple generations of chickens that have learned from the older ones that food scraps = yums.
Any new members to the flock do take a while to investigate but soon learn. Ducks aren't really interested in anything that isn't fruit scraps.
I also feed layer pellets and scratch.
Is a complete diet?
For us, yes. I don't run a factory farm, the birds are happy and lay well and how many of US eat a complete diet every day?

 

[mscallisto]

I call mine the feathered garbage disposals. A couple times a week they'll get our leftovers. I've been doing it for years and it's never affected their laying or their health.

 

[Sueby]

My chickens will not eat any scraps, no matter how hard I try. Its pellets & the occasional mealworm & thats it.

I tried the hanging cabbage for fun, nope, not interested. I've tried fruit, blech. Salad scraps, no way. Nothing.

 

[Alaskan]

My chickens will not eat any scraps, no matter how hard I try. Its pellets & the occasional mealworm & thats it.

I tried the hanging cabbage for fun, nope, not interested. I've tried fruit, blech. Salad scraps, no way. Nothing.

Sometimes if they haven't learned that scraps are good... they will not touch them.

Giving them the same thing multiple times helps... sometimes the 5th time you offer it they will finally try it.

Also, if there is something that they do like to eat... mix the feed that they do eat with the food that they will not try.

Sometimes that can do the trick.

 

[Sueby]

I figure they're better off being happy with just their pellets so I've given up trying.