Is it true you're not to feed chickens anything moldy?

[JadeFarms]

Don’t feed a chicken orange citrus is poisonous to them

This is not true, citrus is actually really good for them.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

omg and I've been giving them all my experiment breads! Including sourdough discards!

That should be fine. Bread yeasts would be ok. I have fed lots of sour dough and starter for years and years.

 

[Weeg]

Once, a hen of mine ate some moldy feed that rats had been hiding in the coop, she dies the next day. Was perfectly fine, walking around, I blinked, (seriously I am not exaggerating), and then, she was dead on the ground. We assumed it was the mold since she did get ahold of some, and there was no other reason she should have died.

 

[Miceeatingchicken]

Once, a hen of mine ate some moldy feed that rats had been hiding in the coop, she dies the next day. Was perfectly fine, walking around, I blinked, (seriously I am not exaggerating), and then, she was dead on the ground. We assumed it was the mold since she did get ahold of some, and there was no other reason she should have died.

I hope the girls don't die from eating the moldy cheese!

 

[Miceeatingchicken]

I would have done exactly the same thing you did.
The mold that usually grows on my cheese or bread doesn't seem to hurt chickens, and it also hasn't hurt me when I've eaten it by mistake. ("Huh, that tastes weird. The chickens can have the rest of it.")

Some people have long lists of what not to give to chickens. I grew up tossing just about everything into the chicken pen and letting them decide for themselves. (Chicken pen = compost pile.) I do think it's important to make sure they ALWAYS have plenty of chicken feed and water, so they don't make poor choices due to being too hungry.

Chicken food is mostly grain, so I don't worry about whether chickens "should" eat bread--they seem to like it just fine, and I haven't seen a problem yet. (Not saying a problem cannot happen--just that I haven't seen it. And I've probably had a few hundred chickens over the last several decades.)

Thank you! This comment made me breathe a little easier.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Avoid feeding them any dairy products as chickens do not have the enzymes to break it down properly. They CAN eat it, they WILL eat it, but it's definitely not good for them; they can and will eat styrofoam too... to underline the point

 

[HeatherKellyB]

This is not true, citrus is actually really good for them.

My birds LOVE mandarin segments. I don't give the girls much. They probably get one segment between 2. The boys eat more and they love it with exception for 1 of my boys. I always peel them beforehand and then separate the segments. I do not give them any rind.

Edited to add that this is a rare treat. I only do this when I notice some are on the verge of being wasted, but if you have a kid, you know how rare mandarins go to waste

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

It is great that you give your chickens treats and stuff but you need to make sure to take out the mold or just not feed it to them at all if the food is moldy. Cheese contains a large amount of fat and shouldn't be fed to chickens very often. I give my chickens treats all the time and its usually fruits like apple skin and bananas. They love sweet food!

Mine seek out fat especially in winter.

 

[JadeFarms]

My birds LOVE mandarin segments. I don't give the girls much. They probably get one segment between 2. The boys eat more and they love it with exception for 1 of my boys. I always peel them beforehand and then separate the segments. I do not give them any rind.

Edited to add that this is a rare treat. I only do this when I notice some are on the verge of being wasted, but if you have a kid, you know how rare mandarins go to waste

Mine love oranges too!

 

[DaisyDaGuicken]

Mine seek out fat especially in winter.

View attachment 2505363

HaHa mine too! They love it when I have some extra fat I could feed them . Especially one chicken named Mei. But she died today so that's why I joined BYC. I don't feed the fat very often because they need to stay healthy too.