Feeding Scraps to Chickens?

[Chickenberry]

Lately I have been saving all scraps of vegetables and fruits when I'm cooking and cutting, or peeling an orange or whatever. So, is it okay to just give them scraps? They love it!! In fact, I threw in strawberry tops a week ago and they went nuts for them.

 

[chicmom]

Scraps are fine, but there are a few that aren't good for chickens....Potato peels, and beans are not good for chickens...There is something in them that is actually poisonous to chickens. Also, I've read where citrus fruits aren't good for chickens because they're hard on their digestive system.

Onions and garlic can make your eggs taste oniony or garlicy (are those words? haha)

But most veggie and fruit scraps are healthy!

 

[hannakat]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart


This covers a lot of the information.

 

[Chickenberry]

Quote:
Thank you Hannakat! What a great webpage! So much to learn ~ who knew they could eat all of that stuff??

 

[Ariel301]

Citrus fruits are fine. They don't like the peels, but they love the fruit. I also feed mine potato peels at least once a week. Beans are fine too, nothing poisonous in beans, but don't feed raw soybeans to anything, including people, as they interfere with how the body absorbs protein. I used to raise chickens on nothing but scratch and kitchen scraps and they did fine.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I agree with all of the above. Side note - spicy peppers do not make the eggs spicy

 

[mommas_got_peeps]

Whew...I about flew out of my chair when I read "no beans" as last week we had a ton of fresh green beans that my son capped the ends off and we gave them all to our 6 week olds along with other extra salad veggies...they went nuts for it all and not one scrap was left... so it didn't do anything to them ..they were fine...i've also discovered they eat and do fine with 'honey yogurt". As we say in our house ...they were part of the "clean plate club" when they got done with it. I gave about a cup for the 6 out there. we've also had an ant problem this spring with all the wet weather it drove them to my kitchen...so every time I run across one I smack it and feed it to the chicks..mmmmm protein

... they are like live "recyclying machines" and I really feel that I'm going "green"

 

[dewey]

They love scraps. Most of my veggie prep scraps go in the freezer to use for future beef or chicken stock, but I do share them with the chickens. I use a lot of onion skins and garlic drop in my stocks. Sometimes they get a bit of the stock I've made poured over their feed and they love it, although their egg flavor hasn't ever seemed to be altered by that or other things.

My take on it is if chickens can eat their fill of stink bugs

, grubs, scorpions, ticks, spiders, etc., that some garlic & onion or other strong veggies & herbs won't flavor the eggs enough to notice. Maybe it's about moderation...not sure since there's never been a noticable difference, no matter how hard I've tried.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I don't think you're supposed to feed them uncooked beans. I was giving my girls potato peels before I found out they weren't supposed to have them- they never ate the peels. Maybe because they knew something I didn't......