Fishy birds

[TimDavey10]

Is it ok to feed my chickens fish scraps for protein? I have read online it is but just wanted some second opinions. I read the bones are not an issue since they grind their food in their gizzard. True or false?

 

[cavemanrich]

I would first grind up the scraps before giving fish bones to chickens. The fish-bones do have the potential of puncturing the crop. JMO
Your eggs may acquire a fish flavor/odor if chickens eat very much fish.
I know of the flavor of fish being passed on to the eggs and meat from some peeps that lived on collective farms in other nations and fed fish scraps to the chickens. That is all they had to give as source of protein.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,, and

 

[TimDavey10]

I would first grind up the scraps before giving fish bones to chickens. The fish-bones do have the potential of puncturing the crop. JMO
Your eggs may acquire a fish flavor/odor if chickens eat very much fish.
I know of the flavor of fish being passed on to the eggs and meat from some peeps that lived on collective farms in other nations and fed fish scraps to the chickens. That is all they had to give as source of protein.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,, and

Thank you for the info! It would be in the winter that I might do this when more natural sources of protein are limited. Insects, earthworms, etc... also, they wouldn't get enough to make a fishy flavor just a little here and there. Would cutting it up into small pieces bones included be sufficient?

 

[cavemanrich]

Just use your best judgment. Remember that food goes into crop first. It then is passed on to the gizzard. If there is sufficient grit, then it will be shredded more.
I have an old skool meat grinder in my chicken area. (exclusive for chicken use) I grind up all sort of things so that chickens do not potentially choke on things. Got mine used for about $5
It is very similar to the one pictured. Cant find my exact model quickly.

 

[TimDavey10]

Just use your best judgment. Remember that food goes into crop first. It then is passed on to the gizzard. If there is sufficient grit, then it will be shredded more.
I have an old skool meat grinder in my chicken area. (exclusive for chicken use) I grind up all sort of things so that chickens do not potentially choke on things. Got mine used for about $5
It is very similar to the one pictured. Cant find my exact model quickly.

I would love to have one of those

 

[centrarchid]

I have not observed chickens having issue with consuming fish like bluegill. They appear pretty good at consuming vertebrae, head and base of paired fins. They do not eat all the bones in my setting, but they consume at least a few.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I would first grind up the scraps before giving fish bones to chickens....

I use to feed live shiner minnows to my chickens and they gulped them down like they were college frat boys swallowing live goldfish. Never a problem one.

The crop is not a food reservoir like some people believe, but the crop is a kind of a second stomach (the first stomach that food reaches). The crop treats anything in it with digestive juices which are strong acids. The acids in a chickens crop act like ACV and decalcify all the bones that chickens manage to eat. Just because yo mama told you to not eat fish bones does not mean that fish bones are going to poke a hole in your chickens' tummies.

 

[chickens really]

Why not buy a higher protein feed?..Dry cat food as a treat in the winter months is a great protein source.