Is it ok for my chickens to have access to the compost made from my house rabbit and hamster litter/

[AGB680]

Mike I noticed that most all the posts here ARE written by very experienced chicken owners - and that the Vermont farmer is no exception. Like I said, it would lessen the need to provide a lot of feed and afterall, truly free-range chickens are the healthiest and have the most nutritious eggs compared to grain/corn-fed poultry that is not allowed to roam and wander in a protected area eating the pests in the garden. What a magical circle of life it is to have these feathered friends in ones life! I'm very excited for spring to come.....

 

[aart]

Mike I noticed that most all the posts here ARE written by very experienced chicken owners - and that the Vermont farmer is no exception. Like I said, it would lessen the need to provide a lot of feed and afterall, truly free-range chickens are the healthiest and have the most nutritious eggs compared to grain/corn-fed poultry that is not allowed to roam and wander in a protected area eating the pests in the garden. What a magical circle of life it is to have these feathered friends in ones life! I'm very excited for spring to come.....

You're gonna want to fence the chickens out of the garden plants as they'll scratch them up. If you fence next to the garden, they'll get some the pests.

That Vermont guy has a HUGE compost operation! Much,much different than a small homestead pile.

 

[Michael Apple]

Mike I noticed that most all the posts here ARE written by very experienced chicken owners - and that the Vermont farmer is no exception. Like I said, it would lessen the need to provide a lot of feed and afterall, truly free-range chickens are the healthiest and have the most nutritious eggs compared to grain/corn-fed poultry that is not allowed to roam and wander in a protected area eating the pests in the garden. What a magical circle of life it is to have these feathered friends in ones life! I'm very excited for spring to come.....

Unfortunately, you are incorrect. There are those with many years of experience, those with little experience, and those who are just beginning. The ingredients of the compost matter as to the level of potentially toxic materials in it. The idea that one can lessen the cost of of feed by encouraging birds to live on compost is not a good idea to promote for obvious reasons. Most people raising birds for meat, eggs, or even pets, will encourage a well formulated ration as the staple diet. The statement of ,"Truly free range birds being the healthiest", would be determined by the environmental conditions of range, and what is available to them in that environment. In the wrong environment, free range birds would certainly not be the healthiest. To suggest that those who are opposed to giving chickens compost to feed upon, limit their birds to GMO feeds set in a barren yard is not only insulting to them, it is certainly not true.

 

[GreenSahara]

Unfortunately, you are incorrect. There are those with many years of experience, those with little experience, and those who are just beginning. The ingredients of the compost matter as to the level of potentially toxic materials in it. The idea that one can lessen the cost of of feed by encouraging birds to live on compost is not a good idea to promote for obvious reasons. Most people raising birds for meat, eggs, or even pets, will encourage a well formulated ration as the staple diet. The statement of ,"Truly free range birds being the healthiest", would be determined by the environmental conditions of range, and what is available to them in that environment. In the wrong environment, free range birds would certainly not be the healthiest. To suggest that those who are opposed to giving chickens compost to feed upon, limit their birds to GMO feeds set in a barren yard is not only insulting to them, it is certainly not true.

Mike, Just because there are some of us who haven't been on this site very often, doesn't mean our knowledge of poultry is inadequate. I have run poultry for nearly ten years, and have made a profitable business out of it. Other "New Eggs" might have similar or greater experience.

 

[Michael Apple]

Mike, Just because there are some of us who haven't been on this site very often, doesn't mean our knowledge of poultry is inadequate. I have run poultry for nearly ten years, and have made a profitable business out of it. Other "New Eggs" might have similar or greater experience.

The idea is not to make this discussion into a contest, or anything to do with how much one posts on the forum. Knowledge is acquired over time through experiences. Your knowledge of poultry over ten years will not equal the knowledge of someone raising poultry for 30 years as an example. Not a contest, just fact.

The fact is that just because chickens are omnivores and are designed by nature to tolerate certain levels of bacteria, that doesn't mean offering compost as a dietary component is somehow going to benefit their health. It would lessen the feed bills because eventually there would be fewer birds to feed because they'd be dying. Just as you wouldn't let the house cat simply live off of rodents and wild birds instead of feeding it cat food. Numerous posts have been presented in the Emergencies section of this forum and elsewhere in regard to bacterial infections in chickens. And some of the most basic information put forth to educate people new to the hobby or business, is to avoid allowing flocks access to compost materials:

http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/AG/Chickens 101_Part 4.pdf

http://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-diarrhea.html

I prepare compost year after year for my vegetable gardens like lots of folks do. And common sense dictates that it is in an area of pasture where neither the birds, nor my dogs have access to it. I have some birds that just reached 9 years of age and still lay eggs, so I don't think my 30+ years of raising chickens has left me without enough knowledge to keep them healthy.

 

[AGB680]

I may be new at this whole chicken raising thing but..... the organic compost Vermont farmer has been farming for the same length of time. My mom's closest friend grew up in a farming family and now runs the same farm that's been in her family for generations so like 50+ years. She recommends allowing them full run of the property and the goats she raises she allows them to roam as well. There are huge piles of dirty hay from the barn where she has three horses and 20 goats. The chickens continually scratch at that plus the two acres of grassy pasture. They get fed sparingly and mostly in the colder months.

Karl from vermontcompost.com the farm mentioned here had this to say in his email back to me:

"it sounds like you have enough for your birds to eat. you can start by reducing the grain you provide each day. we do not buy any grain for our flock even in our harsh winter. there are grains in the community food residuals and we manage the compost process so that the piles are hot and provide a warm and diverse forage opportunity for the birds. we have birds that are more than 6 years old still thriving on the food they find. we have had no evidence of illness or parasite burden in our flock."​

 

[aart]

Well, go for it and keep tabs on your progress, let us know how it works out long term. Seriously, you can revive this thread in a year or two with an update.