Kitchen scraps

[Chickassan]

Justin Rhodes is going to bless your flock with projectile diarrhea,
chickens are lactose intolerant.
But not my flock, not my shoes.
Youtube is education and entertainment finding that dividing line is something best left to the watcher.
Good luck.

Justin Rhodes has

I’ll stick with Justin Rhodes method

 

[Vickischics]

Agreed. I'm glad your so excited and decided to follow Justin Rhodes. I'll be like your wife and opt not to click on your sig and read your blog.
Me, I'd never risk my flock to dairy let aloned spoiled stuff. But. If it works for you, then do your thing. No need to ask for advice on here then because Justin Rhodes will have all your miracle answers. Good Luck with that!

 

[NatJ]

I combine "chicken run" and "compost pile." The only things I leave out are ones that are downright poisonous (tomato leaves, potato leaves, rhubarb leaves--not much else.)

Yes, I even throw in things like green potatoes, and avocado peels and pits (chickens scratch them around, but they don't seem to actually eat them.)

Yes, I've put in moldy bread and limp vegetables and moldy vegetables and rotting apples and moldy cheese, and the milk left in a child's cup or in their cereal bowl. (Milk often poured over a sandwich crust or a burned pancake or something similar so it soaks in and is easier to eat.) Never had a problem.

The more choices you give the chickens (like a whole compost pile), the more they learn to pick what things will work for them.

I have never given large amounts of dairy, because the chickens have always gotten what was leftover from the people, and most of the dairy went to the people (Yes, the chickens always had chicken food available.)

I don't give dairy. They are not designed to be able to digest milk.

I've got a book on commercial chicken-raising from the early 1900s. It lists two chicken diets. One gets the protein from beef scrap, the other gets it from milk. For the milk, they serve it free-choice, as much as the chickens want. Obviously, their chickens were able to digest milk. I cannot believe the species has changed much since then. They are omnivores: designed to digest almost everything. (But I do agree that sudden diet changes can upset any animal, so small amounts are a good idea if the food is new to the chickens.)

Edit to add:
https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/l...ltry/poultry-rations-and-feeding-methods.html

From 1945, Manitoba Department of Agriculture
"As a desirable protein supplement, milk undoubtedly heads the list."

 

[Chickassan]

Commercial chickens in the early 1900's were wet butted messes just like commercial chickens today just from different causes.
Due to their short lives less than ideal readily available and cheap at the time diets are used.
Yes they are omnivores but they are non milk producing they never suckle so they never develop the ability to properly digest milk.
They do get a chance to forage and on occasion eat a dead aunt or uncle, maybe a keeper who didn't make it back home.
They are set to eat fruits, veggies and meat.

I combine "chicken run" and "compost pile." The only things I leave out are ones that are downright poisonous (tomato leaves, potato leaves, rhubarb leaves--not much else.)

Yes, I even throw in things like green potatoes, and avocado peels and pits (chickens scratch them around, but they don't seem to actually eat them.)

Yes, I've put in moldy bread and limp vegetables and moldy vegetables and rotting apples and moldy cheese, and the milk left in a child's cup or in their cereal bowl. (Milk often poured over a sandwich crust or a burned pancake or something similar so it soaks in and is easier to eat.) Never had a problem.

The more choices you give the chickens (like a whole compost pile), the more they learn to pick what things will work for them.

I have never given large amounts of dairy, because the chickens have always gotten what was leftover from the people, and most of the dairy went to the people (Yes, the chickens always had chicken food available.)



I've got a book on commercial chicken-raising from the early 1900s. It lists two chicken diets. One gets the protein from beef scrap, the other gets it from milk. For the milk, they serve it free-choice, as much as the chickens want. Obviously, their chickens were able to digest milk. I cannot believe the species has changed much since then. They are omnivores: designed to digest almost everything. (But I do agree that sudden diet changes can upset any animal, so small amounts are a good idea if the food is new to the chickens.)

Edit to add:
https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/l...ltry/poultry-rations-and-feeding-methods.html

From 1945, Manitoba Department of Agriculture
"As a desirable protein supplement, milk undoubtedly heads the list."

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Those that insist that commercial feed is the only way are welcome to the opinion...but don’t attack what you clearly have no practical experience with.

Many people have been feeding chickens on food waste and compost for a LONG time...I’m guessing they’re not all lying and secretly replacing chickens to push A process that doesn’t work.

I’ve been at it at larger scale for 4 months after doing a more “deep litter run” approach for years....and my chickens have never been healthier and happier.

It’s a LOT more work than just busting open a bag of feed (mine still have access to chicken feed all day, they just eat less of it), but I think it’s worth it for a lot of reasons!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Those that insist that commercial feed is the only way are welcome to the opinion...but don’t attack what you clearly have no practical experience with.

Many people have been feeding chickens on food waste and compost for a LONG time...I’m guessing they’re not all lying and secretly replacing chickens to push A process that doesn’t work.

I’ve been at it at larger scale for 4 months after doing a more “deep litter run” approach for years....and my chickens have never been healthier and happier.

It’s a LOT more work than just busting open a bag of feed (mine still have access to chicken feed all day, they just eat less of it), but I think it’s worth it for a lot of reasons!

No one said to feed just commercial feed.

What I said was...

I would NEVER EVER feed spoiled, moldy, rotting anything to the birds.
The risk of botulism is not worth it at all.

I go by the thought that if it is not fresh enough for me it is not fresh enough for them.

That said many kitchen scraps are fine like.....
Cucumber peels, squash ends, zucchini ends, strawberry cores, apple peels, carrot peels, cabbage cores, corn cobs, tomato pieces and many more.

I avoid ...
Processed foods like pasta, bread and cereals.

I would not feed due to toxicity levels and birds....
Avacado, and potato peels

I don't give dairy. They are not designed to be able to digest milk.

And I stand by it.

 

[Jbyrne136]

Those that insist that commercial feed is the only way are welcome to the opinion...but don’t attack what you clearly have no practical experience with.

Many people have been feeding chickens on food waste and compost for a LONG time...I’m guessing they’re not all lying and secretly replacing chickens to push A process that doesn’t work.

I’ve been at it at larger scale for 4 months after doing a more “deep litter run” approach for years....and my chickens have never been healthier and happier.

It’s a LOT more work than just busting open a bag of feed (mine still have access to chicken feed all day, they just eat less of it), but I think it’s worth it for a lot of reasons!

Thank you fir not been rude and understanding what I meant

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

No one said to feed just commercial feed.

What I said was...

And I stand by it.

And I never said you should feed moldy things or dairy.

Aren’t we an agreeable lot!

 

[iwltfum]

I would not trust Justin Rhodes as far as I could throw him. He will come up with a brand new idea yesterday and present it today like it's god's word.

That being said, our hens are free to range our multiple compost piles and have been for years. Never had a problem with it. Everything goes in there including sheep and chicken poop and bedding, moldy hay, chicken guts from processing meat birds, yogurt, and rotten and moldy food - it gets even moldier while sitting in the compost pile and they seem to like veggies better after they have sat and rotted for a bit. Just saying. Some people think their chickens need a sterile environment and maybe they do if they have production hens and don't expose them early to real soil, compost, and general components of farm life, but mine seem hardy to these things. Just my experience.

Edited to add that all this goes in the compost pile, which eats up alot of bad bacteria and other potential issues (ie botulism which can be a potential issue). Maybe that's why they let it sit in the pile for a bit before eating it.. I don't directly feed them rotten food or anything mentioned above.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Justin Rhodes actually is a lot more into pasture than compost (his big thing is temporary fencing and moving them every day). That being said, everyone should do their own research and do what they feel is best for their situation.

@iwltfum - my experience is similar to yours in that everything goes into the pile. Given an abundance of options, chickens seem to do a good job of figuring out what’s good to eat and what isn’t.

Whatever the chickens don’t eat, the pile does. Then it brings in worms and bugs that feed the chickens.

Then the compost feeds the soil, which feeds me!