Hello everyone

[IceAngel]

Welcome to BYC!

There's an excellent chart of healthy treats in the Learning Center...I've found it very helpful, maybe you will too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

You'll want to keep the treats down to no more than 10% of their feed so they don't fill up on treats and not eat their nutritionally balanced feed. But it's fun to see how excited they get with something special.

Good luck with your flock and it's nice to have you here!

I see that there is catfood on that list. For some reason I thought that you shouldn't feed chickens anything that isn't fit for human consumption. Cat and dog food often come with chemicals that are not FDA approved. If you feed it, doesn't that mean the chemicals will be incorporated into the meat of the chicken?

 

[FlockOfHens]

Welcome to BYC!! Ive only been here for almost a year, but I have learned so much from this site, and I hope you the same! Please enjoy this amazing website and our community is glad to have you.

 

[IceAngel]

Greetings all!
My name is Mike and I, too, am a Chicken-holic. I do not presently have my own, but intend to raise them. I live in a town that doesn't presently permit the keeping of poultry, but my friend has ducks and I have promised to help her. A neighbor reported her for keeping her ducks. I am friends with the Mayor and a few City Coucilmen and will do my best to foster a change in the municipal code.

Good on ya, Mike. Check out your States "Green" policy. While small jurisdictions might still live in the stone age, "green" policies supersede those by-laws. We used to be a chicken free community until our council members took a bent for lessening carbon footprints. They decided to allow chickens unless there was public outcry. We aren't allowed roosters in our residential areas but everyone is allowed a moderate chicken flock. They dispose of bugs and compostable items and they reward you with eggs.

 

[N F C]

I see that there is catfood on that list. For some reason I thought that you shouldn't feed chickens anything that isn't fit for human consumption. Cat and dog food often come with chemicals that are not FDA approved. If you feed it, doesn't that mean the chemicals will be incorporated into the meat of the chicken?

If you go to the bottom of the treat chart article, you'll see there is a footnote about cat food. I've never read up on it but it seems to be somewhat controversial as a treat. As I don't have a cat and don't have it laying around to feed our chickens, it's not something I've been too concerned about. If you'd like to know more, try looking up posts using the Search box in the upper left corner of the screen.

 

[N F C]

Greetings all!
My name is Mike and I, too, am a Chicken-holic. I do not presently have my own, but intend to raise them. I live in a town that doesn't presently permit the keeping of poultry, but my friend has ducks and I have promised to help her. A neighbor reported her for keeping her ducks. I am friends with the Mayor and a few City Coucilmen and will do my best to foster a change in the municipal code.

Hi Mike, welcome to BYC!

Good luck getting your local laws revised so people that want can have a flock. I've never raised ducks but they look like fun. There are some good articles in the Learning Center about them and a duck forum you might enjoy:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/other-backyard-poultry-ducks-quail-turkeys-geese-etc

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/42/ducks

With Kiltedbiker as a member name, I take it you have some Scottish running through your veins? I come from the McDonald clan myself!

Nice to have you here!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[clturner91]

Nice to meet you Christy.  My friend has house pet indoor chickens  2 seramas  2 silkies.  I wonder what your cross  will look like mature. Very interesting - I would think they will be the broodiest chicks once they grow up.

Haha I would agree! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens! Thank you

 

[clturner91]

How do you maintain the worms.  I need a very simple method, lol, or they just get what comes in bags.

Haha I understand. They are so simple though. I keep mine in a storage bin. Cut lid with vent holes, fill with oatmeal, add worms and feed with vegetable scraps (potatoes, carrots, lettuce, etc). That's literally it. No need to clean as carcasses will decay and be consumed. They multiply rapidly and are very hearty as long as you keep in a environment out of direct sun and as low moisture as you can without inconvenience. Mine is kept in the shed. There have been times, admittedly, that I have not fed them for weeks, even over a month and they survived without a problem. Very cool to try if you're interested.

 

[clturner91]

Greetings all!
My name is Mike and I, too, am a Chicken-holic. I do not presently have my own, but intend to raise them. I live in a town that doesn't presently permit the keeping of poultry, but my friend has ducks and I have promised to help her. A neighbor reported her for keeping her ducks. I am friends with the Mayor and a few City Coucilmen and will do my best to foster a change in the municipal code.

Welcome Mike, and best of luck to you! I'm sure the process is not easy, but I am excited for you that hopefully very soon you will have chickens of your own

 

[clturner91]

Good on ya, Mike.  Check out your States "Green" policy.  While small jurisdictions might still live in the stone age, "green" policies supersede those by-laws.  We used to be a chicken free community until our council members took a bent for lessening carbon footprints.  They decided to allow chickens unless there was public outcry.  We aren't allowed roosters in our residential areas but everyone is allowed a moderate chicken flock.  They dispose of bugs and compostable items and they reward you with eggs.  

Good advice. I know of someone who lead getting the local law revised....and much of that was because of the green movement and was for a trial period of 2 years, and like you mentioned, was contingent on large public outcry