Minnows for a treat?

[Anna_MN]

It seems kind of odd to me to give minnows as a treat to my girls, but my boyfriend wants to try it. We have a bucket full of minnows left over from ice fishing and they probably won't live until next weekend. My boyfriend said "eagles eat trout, why can't a chicken eat a minnow?"

Would it be okay to give my birds minnows? Has anyone ever tried giving minnows to their hens before?

 

[ForestOwl]

I have they love them, and none of mine have ever been negatively effected either, the ducks like them better though.

 

[donrae]

I haven't given minnows, but we couldn't keep the hens out of the pile of heads and guts after cleaning fish. All the scraps/leftovers were fair game, too.

My dad always said chickens would eat anything that didn't eat them first!

 

[twentynine]

I routinely supplement with minnows caught in my nieghbor's pond. Also they get all left over fish bait.

 

[polishchickens111]

Interesting idea... I have heard that fish can make the eggs taste a bit funny but other than that they should be fine.

 

[Alabama ee]

We trap brim and give it to them. 8-10 of them a day to 13 chickens. They love them. A liitle scary in a way to see one pick up a brim and make a growling noice.

 

[CluckyJay]

My girls just polished off a twenty pound rock fish.

 

[Anna_MN]

I gave each of them three little minnows- they got two dead one and one alive one. They went nuts for them! Good and easy way to get rid of bait....

 

[Patriotsurvival]

I have fed my small flock of chickens hundreds of minnows every other day for the last year or so
along with duckweed , gator grass that comes from my hand dug pond .
the eggs taste no different .