Is It Cruel ??

[mrszlopez]

To give chickens chicken ? I dopped a piece of chicken on the floor while eating dinner & one of my white rock hens flew over & gobbled it up. I was absolutely astonished !! Ive heard of chickens being cannibal like & pecking at each other & what not but - a chicken eating a piece of cooked chicken !? Would it be cruel if i gave it to them as a treat every once & a while if they enjoy it ?

 

[smokeater413]

not cruel, good source of protein as well. its just human nature to feel guilty about this.

 

[lotzahenz]

Chickens are omnivores, they like bugs (meat) and veggies. So eating cooked chicken (they don't have any ideal what it is) is fine, and good for them. Chickens are happiest foraging for bugs, grubs and tasty morsels, along with seeds and grass. Seems a good idea to me.

 

[mrszlopez]

thanks guys. i just figured it was kinda wrong. but they LOVE it !!

 

[redhen]

nothing wrong with it at all...

 

[Peeper7]

Not cruel. Chickens peck -- at ANYTHING. It's what they do. If it's edible, they will eat it be it garbage, flesh, or just dots.
Assuming you are eating cooked chicken, it won't encourage cannibalism.
Mine beg for it and they will clean up all the meat left on the bones! When we have friends over eating the C word outside, the chickens jump in our laps and take it right out of our mouths if they get a chance. I know I know -- bad manners... I should not let them do it

 

[JenEric Farms]

My mom's pet hen when I was growing up LOVED cooked chicken. She would come into the kitchen and pace, waiting for her treat. I never really thought about it being weird before...HA!

 

[gritsar]

We had a quick lunch of store bought fried chicken the other day and I threw the leftovers to the chickens. I wish I had taken the time to get a pic of one of my hens running around with a drumstick in her mouth. It was twisted in one way, but funny just the same.

 

[mrszlopez]

oh gosh you guys with your stories are cracking me up

 

[rigagirl]

we had pheasant last week and i over cooked it. but what was left over that night i gave to them in the morning and they loved it.