feeding your chickens...chicken??

[happyhens1972]

In the UK, it isn't even an option. It is ILLEGAL to feed our chickens any kitchen scraps at all, meat or otherwise

 

[thekidd76]

They love chicken...whenever i get a chicken carcass i throw the whole thing in the coop and they clean it to the bones.

 

[Col1948]

I was a bit worried to feed mine chicken, but I read numerous posts where a lot have done it and had no ill effects.
So the next chicken I had I saved the scraps and they just devoured the lot, having said that I only buy a chicken every so often so it's not a regular feed for them, but I do feed them other types of cooked meat and again they love it.

If you are not sure and don't fancy the idea then don't do it, simple as that.

 

[lburgar]

Seems wrong to me too.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anybody feeds their own live chickens, chicken meat. Does anyone think its wrong or something like that? I'm not feeding any to my chickens until I see what people think.

Thank you.

I don't believe there are any health problems associated with what is essentially cannibalism.
An awful lot is going to depend on your beliefs.
What would you think if I asked you to eat another human being?
Please don't write 'oh but that's different'.

 

[danceswithronin]

In the UK, it isn't even an option. It is ILLEGAL to feed our chickens any kitchen scraps at all, meat or otherwise

What's the reasoning behind that?

 

[happyhens1972]

What's the reasoning behind that?

This is the explanation given by the Animal and Plant Agency, the government control for such matters and it covers ANYONE who owns ANY animal that is classed as a potential food animal, even if they are just kept as pets, with no intention of ever eating them.....

'The most likely source of the Foot and Mouth disease outbreak in 2001 was pigs being fed undercooked catering waste containing the virus which originated from outside the UK. The outbreak resulted in the destruction of more than 10 million cattle and sheep, with compensation running into many millions of pounds.

Simon Hall, APHA’s Veterinary Director, said:

It is important that farmers and smallholders help safeguard the health and welfare of their animals by not feeding them with meat, meat products or any waste from kitchens.

They should also ensure that farmed animals do not have access to catering waste from any other sources, such as dustbins.

The catering waste ban acts as a national barrier to the introduction of potentially devastating animal diseases, and helps reduce the spread of an undetected disease once it has entered the country.

Catering waste means all waste food originating in restaurants, catering facilities and household kitchens. Due to the risk of cross contamination, this includes vegetarian kitchens, where products of animal origin such as milk are used in food preparation'

 

[Al Capon]

You haven't laughed till you see a chicken playing keep-away with a drumstick in it's mouth..

 

[chkva]

I always give my chickens the scraps that my family has from dinner... Sometimes that means the carcass of a rotisserie chicken or other chicken products. Chickens don't know what cooked chicken tastes like or even looks like so it's not going to make them go after flock mates or make them crave their own kind.

My olive egger started laying at 16 weeks eating this way so honestly I see zero problems with it. My chickens are very healthy and happy. My friend suggested that I feed them this way in addition to their layer feed because she has been doing it for 15+ years and her chickens are quite amazing!

 

[woodmort]

I always give my chickens the scraps that my family has from dinner... Sometimes that means the carcass of a rotisserie chicken or other chicken products. Chickens don't know what cooked chicken tastes like or even looks like so it's not going to make them go after flock mates or make them crave their own kind.

If you find one of your birds firing up the grill, be very alert.