Feeding sraps in the run?

[frogman]

I occasionally give my hens scraps but I am wondering about giving them in the run. I have a sand base, but wouldn't the scraps end up with poop on them and infecting the hens?? Should I have a place outside the run for scraps. No matter what I put them in they end up all over the ground!

 

[boskelli1571]

Yeah - mucky little things aren't they? I usually give scraps in a small trough - when they are bedded down for the night I remove whatever is left. This discourages vermin & predators and removes potential source of infection.

 

[Percheron chick]

If they're chunky, I throw then in the run. If they're fine, I'll toss them in a dog bowl. You can't keep the poop out of the equation so don't try. It's in their feet and they scratch everything before they eat it.

 

[frogman]

Thanks that sounds better!

 

[yyz0yyz0]

I'm convinced that they prefer their moist foods to be rolled in dirt before they eat them.

I've sat and watched them pull something out of the bowl and scratch it around on the ground till good and dirty then eat it. As was mentioned above, there's nutin you can do about them eating dirt/poop it's gonna happen no matter what.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm convinced that they prefer their moist foods to be rolled in dirt before they eat them.

I've sat and watched them pull something out of the bowl and scratch it around on the ground till good and dirty then eat it.  As was mentioned above, there's nutin you can do about them eating dirt/poop it's gonna happen no matter what.

yep, this is why I just toss stuff over the fence, they don't care about dirt, there best snack bugs comes off the ground, I would only worry if it's muddy and wet, I only toss on dry soil, wet soil harbors more pathogens.