I want to get more "experimental" with the treats!

[Dar]

digitS' :

I'm just talking thru my hat here, so feel free to ignore me . . .

It seems to me that chickens have very similar nutritional needs as humans. But, let's leave aside the idea of setting another place at the kitchen table for them, just for a minute.

We humans seem to have some fairly serious dietary problems when left to grab whatever interests us. I mean, take a look at that recent report from the military that 27% of our young people are too fat to be admitted into military service!

We aren't expecting our hens to go to boot camp but most of us do expect some eggs from them. A poor quality diet, even if it is one selected by the hens, is bound to interfere with hoped-for egg production.

Every leftover from the kitchen?? I think that isn't going to measure up to an optimum diet or anywhere close to it. Leftovers in our house are the cheap, high-calorie stuff. It probably isn't much more nutritious than a paper feed bag . . .

The feed industry is certainly efficient. That's how they make their money -- using "stuff" that would probably be thrown away, otherwise. Still, there are certain standards that the government requires of their products. And, there is a commitment that they print onto the feed bag label for them to live up to. After all, there are folks with livestock who count on that feed providing what is needed.

And, I'm not quite ready to set another place at the table for the chickens.

Steve

I would agree with you a little.

We are talking about treats.. not a regular diet of table scraps and whatever..​

 

[Daringescape]

I havent given my chickens too much since they are only 4 weeks, but growing up my grandma had chickens - they got all the kitchen scraps. I remember them especially loving melon rinds and fruit peels/leftovers. We also gave them bread and vegetables as well. Whatever came out of the kitchen!

We try to eat pretty healthy, so my girls will get some good veggies and fruits as well as whole grain bread. I am also growing a tub of mealworms as well. I will probably give them the tomatoes that the worms get to before me as well as the extra peaches and figs from our trees as well.

I heard that wild bird food is OK as a treat as well. I just bought a 25lb bag at Costco for $5 yesterday.

 

[1newchickontheblock]

Quote:
re not feeding meat - remember - chickens are omnivores, like us and many other birds and animals. I wouldn't be too squeamish about feeding them meat. Personally, I don't think I would feed them CHICKEN...

 

[RM44]

Thanks for all the great responses so far. One poster certainly hit the nail on the head about my aversion to meat. I'm just squeemish about it. If I'm going to eat the eggs, I'd prefer not to eat something that has meat in it. However, I do collect the grasshoppers from the yard, and see them eating worms, flies, even bees that go into the run. I probably need to give that some more thought.

I'm glad to see that the overall theme is that I don't have to be so cautious. I've always been afraid I'm going to give them something that will make them sick, or is not good for them. They actually love their chicken feed (at this time 1/2 grower/finisher and 1/2 low calcium layer pellets), and they still beg when their feed tray is empty. Even when I'm feeding treats outside in the run, I can tell that their feed tray (inside the coop) is empty by the way they act. If I enter the coop, they run in after me, even when treats are still on the ground.

I think I'll try giving them some meat to see how they like it. I like the idea of running the chicken bones through the canner. How long do you have to pressure cook before it's safe to eat? The dogs are going to love that!