Is it really safe to feed chickens eggs?

[Mflood]

Is it really safe to feed chickens eggs? I'm talking scrambled, hardboiled, shells...anything. I thought that mad cow disease was from feeding cows their own meat, wouldn't that correlate with feeding chickens their own eggs? My dad was a farmer for 40 years and he says that it is a very bad idea (he only had chickens as a little boy), but many others say it is fine. I'm assuming of course that you don't feed them meat either, right? One of the reasons that I'm asking is that I want to try to supplement as much as possible. We have chicks coming Monday and are planning on layer feed for the first 4 weeks, after that, for 15 chickens it will cost up to $40 a month to feed them just the layer feed from the co-op! That's nuts! I have an agreement with a local grocery store to pick up their not fit for sale produce, cereals, breads, donuts etc. twice a week and I figure that this will be some of it, as well as some layer feed, but I'm looking for ways to up the protein on my own, especially in Winter when I won't have as much natural food in the run. I do plan to compost in the run and deep bed in the coop, so hopefully they will get some bugs, but I want to make this as cheap/free as possible. We don't have a lot of money and are doing this to be more self-sufficient and healthier. Thanks everyone! Any ideas of what to feed them would be wonderful! Also, people say all the time to give chickens leftovers. Are we talking casserole from supper, tacos, pizza sort of leftovers or are we talking only unseasoned things like cooked rice or veggies or carrot peels and stuff? If the store gives me fruit loops am I a fruit loop for giving it to them? What about pieces of bacon or beef, cooked or uncooked? What about chicken skins or tuna etc.? Thanks so much. This is a bit confusing for me.

 

[mermaiden]

This list should help for some of your questions. I am new to this too and reading and learning and found several great answers in this article. My chickens will be here tomorrow! (from a friend - not chicks)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

 

[JessicaThistle]

It is important to remember that chickens are omnivores (like we are) thus they can eat everything that we can, plus they will eat mice, worms, bugs and many other things that we wouldn't.. Mad cow disease was the result of feeding cows (who are herbivores) meat including contaminated brain and spinal cord material. That is not normal.

You can feed your chickens anything. They love it and will be your best friend. I threw my chickens a chicken carcass and the final taco that didn't get eaten in the last few day. Because of this, I come out the door and they run to me wanting to know if I have anything else to share. They will check my fingers for stuff because I have made them so happy.

Make a chicken bucket from a coffee can or a bucket and EVERYTHING that you would eat that doesn't get eaten goes in there. No more down the disposal or in the trash can. When you have scrapings after dinner or dinner cleanup, when you clean out the fridge, yummy for chickens! Pork chop bones, steak bones, chicken bones, absolutely anything. Your chickens will love you!

 

[Michael OShay]

This list should help for some of your questions. I am new to this too and reading and learning and found several great answers in this article. My chickens will be here tomorrow! (from a friend - not chicks)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

Mermaiden has pointed you to a great article which should answer your question. Just make sure the eggs are well cooked. As the article says, you do not want your chickens to develop a taste for their own raw eggs.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have a golden rule , if I wouldn't eat it I don't feed it to my chickens. Chicks survive 21 days on a yolk so it goes without saying that eggs are good for them. So long as it doesn't get served up in a shell they will be none the wiser..
Don't feed anything with mould on it and definitely nothing that is rancid or ' on the nose '.
Everything in moderation and keep the treats to a minimum.
Obese unhealthy chickens don't lay eggs.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

I have a golden rule , if I wouldn't eat it I don't feed it to my chickens. Chicks survive 21 days on a yolk so it goes without saying that eggs are good for them. So long as it doesn't get served up in a shell they will be none the wiser..
Don't feed anything with mould on it and definitely nothing that is rancid or ' on the nose '.
Everything in moderation and keep the treats to a minimum.
Obese unhealthy chickens don't lay eggs.

On the contrary, we feed everything to our chickens we don't like.

Moldy bread? Birds!

Moldy cantaloupe? Birds!

Egg that was being sat on but really isn't fertile but isn't quite bad yet? Birds!

Cracked, incubated, fertile egg (so it has an embryo but it died recently)? Birds!

Old food (cereal, chips, etc)? Birds!

Dead chicken? Well this wasn't really my idea, but the birds felt they had the right to eat the body of a dead chick. So I guess birds!

I know some people really value their chickens and worry a bunch about them (which is totally understandable, I mean, I basically inspect everything 3 times over for my parrots), but it's gotten to the point where I honestly am not afraid to feed them a thing, and I've got some real expensive, personable chickies. My parrots I freak out at the tiniest thing, but chickens are live stock and sturdy ones at that. I just feel if I can't feed them my bad food, who am I to feed it to? at the moment we have pigs occupying the garbage disposal spot, but the chickens fill it during the rest of the year.

I simply posted this to give some contrast. Some animals I feel are very fragile - parrots, rabbits - while others are sturdy things that can resist a lot - chickens, pigeons - and should be tested to those limits. We haven't had a bird die from eating anything, aside from one hen who ate kitty litter. But that wasn't my idea....

Also, chickens don't really like carrots. At least raw ones. This applies to a lot of vegetables. I find if you boil a bunch of vegetables, cover them in gravy or bacon grease, they are the BEST THING to exist.

 

[Fancychooklady]

On the contrary, mouldy food will and does kill poultry. Your birds must have cast iron stomaches .

 

[Mflood]

Thanks everyone for all of the great advice! I do need to interject here, that I'm still a bit confused. I know that a lot of people compost inside of their chicken coops. Some people even feed the chickens solely on compost...which is rotting food...right? So where does that leave us? Thank you.

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks everyone for all of the great advice! I do need to interject here, that I'm still a bit confused. I know that a lot of people compost inside of their chicken coops. Some people even feed the chickens solely on compost...which is rotting food...right? So where does that leave us? Thank you.

Rewelcome to BYC! ) As you can see, while there are many things that are set in stone regarding chickens, there are many other things that you will find a variety of opinions on. A good rule of thumb regarding whether or not you should do something (including feeding chickens certain things) is probably, when in doubt, don't. At least you will have peace of mind that way.