Meaties, when can I give them kitchen or table scraps?

[obsessed]

I have read that we can give chicken table or kitchen scraps. At what age would you do that for meaties? I was hoping to keep some of the feed cost down. Any recommendations as to what or what not to give them?

 

[fasbendera]

You can always try a little after you take them off the starter. Chickens are like a garbage disposal. Lettuce, pasta, rice, potatoes, any vegetable. Ours didn't like carrot peelings but loved the slop bucket from canning tomatoes. They kept my carrot tops trimmed so low our carrots were smaller than my pinky finger. Ate the beet tops in the garden, ate the raddish tops if we cut them but not the turnip tops. Go figure. They would kill for a tomatoe and love raspberries. Ok I'm rambling. Have fun and watch how they will run if you come in with a bucket in your hand.

Try it and if it is there the next day throw it away. I bought one of those rubber hog troughs at Tractor supply. The bigger one and I put the food scraps in there.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Somewhere on here is a list of things they shouldn't have, but most kitchen scraps are fine.

 

[the1much]

i feed all my chicks kitchen scraps at 2 months..

 

[Peruvian]

Quote:
Your meat birds ate all that? I assume they weren't CX or Freedom Rangers.

 

[the1much]

my birds ( not meaties) can eat as much as a pig when it comes to food scraps..

 

[wclawrence]

Yes you can give them any table scraps or kitchen scraps you can come up with. Chickens can handle anything you can (besides salt) and many many things you can't.

 

[Peruvian]

The OP was specifically asking about meat birds. I'm assuming he means Cornish X or Free Rangers, otherwise 'dual purpose' or no reference to 'meat bird' would have been necessary. I found that CXs eat a little bit of table scrap (apples for example) but don't really go after it like layers do. I suspect it's mostly because they are so young and don't really know any better. I'd put the scraps into their food tough so they know that they are supposed to eat it (they're not particularly bright

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