Fish?

[blakeee]

My chickens love fish! I know it's packed full of protein so happy to give them some once a week. Now this is where I need help... Is this too often? What is the best canned fish to feed them? I know tuna is high in mercury and salmon is so expensive so are sardines a better way for them to eat fish and get the protein?

 

[feedman77]

Look for menhaden fish meal. Its sold as a fertilizer in garden stores. But all it is is ground up fish.
Use to use it in feed recipies as a high protein boost. It is high in omega 3. It is a much better protein source than bean meal IMHO.

All it would take is just a little bit sprinkled over the feed you feed your birds already.

Edit: sorry missed you were looking for canned fish.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Canned fish is sort of expensive. Why not set a couple of minnow traps and feed your hens a minnow or two every day? I use to have two minnow ponds that I grew fish bait in and my hens (roosters too) could swallow a minnow in a heart beat. Also cod liver oil if you can find it really puts the shine on those feathers and the pep in your roosters' step.
https://www.chewy.com/alaska-naturals-wild-alaskan-pollock/dp/105396

 

[blakeee]

Look for menhaden fish meal. Its sold as a fertilizer in garden stores. But all it is is ground up fish.
Use to use it in feed recipies as a high protein boost. It is high in omega 3. It is a much better protein source than bean meal IMHO.

All it would take is just a little bit sprinkled over the feed you feed your birds already.

Edit: sorry missed you were looking for canned fish.

Sounds like a great source of protein but I don't want my chickens missing out on the fun of tearing a bit of fish apart. I think that's their favourite part. I'll look into your suggestion though!

 

[blakeee]

Canned fish is sort of expensive. Why not set a couple of minnow traps and feed your hens a minnow or two every day? I use to have two minnow ponds that I grew fish bait in and my hens (roosters too) could swallow a minnow in a heart beat. Also cod liver oil if you can find it really puts the shine on those feathers and the pep in your roosters' step.
https://www.chewy.com/alaska-naturals-wild-alaskan-pollock/dp/105396

Thanks for the suggestion! I don't think I could raise little fishies to feed to my chickens. I struggle with giving them canned stuff as it is

 

[blakeee]

I did some research and it seems canned fish is fine as long as it doesn't have any oil or added salt. A tin of sardines in Australia costs around 65c so that's not a big deal for me. Just still wondering how often I can do it.

 

[Ljc01]

I bought some freeze dried sardines for my cats, who won't eat them. I feed them to my chickens, who love them.

 

[CannedMonster]

My chickens love sardines. I think if you’re just giving it once a week that’s fine.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Sounds like a great source of protein but I don't want my chickens missing out on the fun of tearing a bit of fish apart. I think that's their favourite part. I'll look into your suggestion though!

Chickens treat raw fish (at least raw fish under two or three inches long) like chickens treat mice and small snakes. That is grab it by the nose and pound it on the ground a time or two to gain compliance from their intended meal then it's down the hatch head first.

 

[centrarchid]

I would avoid fresh freshwater fish as some parasites it harbers that normally infect naturally fish eating birds and other animals might be a problem for chickens lacking evolutionary history eating such fare. We used to feed rotting or dried trash fish like buffalo without obvious trouble.