Question about things they CANNOT eat

[9SpiceyChickens]

If you give them Basil or Rosemary, it helps with their egg yolks. They become sweeter, bigger, and become orange. Very good for them. Every other day, my chicks get an hour out of their coop and they love it. They hop the fence into the garden, and hang out with their quail friends. (Some cali quails made a nest and layed eggs in our tomato and hatched chickies my family doesn´t have the heart to make them leave) Then they will gobble on Basil and Tomatos then peck in our lemon trees. They roost in our cherry tree on Free-Range Friday. ( My mom stays and works from home and works outside while the chooks free range) Never had a problem with them.

 

[Barry42001]

Typically what I would give to the chickens from the table where leftover vegetables we roast a lot so it's rootstock that we cut up like eats carrots potatoes the chickens have never hesitated to eat them ever and as you put it out there forum they would come Galloping in and fight for it I would occasionally throw out some meat scraps because it was too little of it left to save for anyting so I would cut it up fine and throw it over the fence to the chickens and again they came Galloping over and over it it's kind of funny all kinds of stuff on the ground but I will pick something up and half the other hands will chase her for it leaving the rest behind to get picked over by the rest of the herd of chickens kind of funny had they stayed where they were that have plenty but no one accused chickens of being Einsteins

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

Hi all,
We are getting our first chickens (3 Red Sex Link pullets) this Saturday. We plan to give them our food scraps. I have read a ton of stuff on here, and from that I know a few things NOT to give them: coffee grounds, green potato peels, avocado.

Here is my question - can I give them the following things that grow in our yard and/or are common scraps in our house:
Kitchen scraps:
- Jalapeno pepper ends/stems and seeds
- Cilantro stems
- Raspberries/blueberries/blackberries that are a bit old - a little white mold and or mushy
- white and yellow onion ends, peels, etc.
- mushroom stem bases (the dirty parts)
- food leftovers that I wouldn't eat, but don't have science experiment-type mold growing yet...

Yard stuff:
- Kousa dogwood berries - we have a tree that drops tons of these. They are edible (inside part is pretty yummy) but I read that the gritty skin irritates the stomachs of dogs. Anyone know if chickens are ok with these?
- Mint - we have a ton of it everywhere and we plan to let them free range our enclosed yard when we are around.
- Magnolia flowers - the run and coop are going to be right near a large magnolia tree

I am hoping they are smart enough not to eat anything, or too much of anything, to get sick.

Here is a list:

https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/02/toxic-treats-what-not-to-feed-your.html

I have given my chickens almost everything a human could eat except for what's on this list and my chickens have never had any illness. I have never lost a chicken for any other reason except a predator. I have given them spaghetti (with sauce) cut up, crushed egg shells, fruits, bread, deli meat cut up, crushed chips (lightly salted), etc. The only reaction my chickens have ever had was to run to me faster when they saw me approaching with a white paper plate. The first few times it happened I actually looked for a predator in the tree line. Nope.. it was me holding a paper plate that caused them to run.

Some people will say to never feed them that, but they are all fine. I have 1 chicken that is 10 years old. So if she wants to enjoy spaghetti once in a while with sauce (cause I made too much) then she will have it. Keep in mind these things are not all they eat. These are treats.

Chicks and young birds need starter and grower feed - so I refer to older birds. The one thing I have learned from owning chickens besides the joy and fun they bring is that chickens are very hardy. I have seen injuries I thought I would have to put a hen down over (and they both made a full recovery), I have accidentally given them sugar and molded bread only to find out later what it contained, I have doctored them at home because no vet in my area cares for poultry, Etc. Does this mean I don't love my chickens? No! I love my birds very much. We all started to learn somewhere though and it shows that chickens are tough.

 

[Barry42001]

Well as I've stated before the chickens I have get laying crumbles I also always have a bag of Barnyard treat which is like a special mix of grain and molasses I always refer to it as winter feed because of the high caloric content besides the protein content so besides getting that they also got the vegetable scraps and meat scraps and yes spaghetti with sauce and the chickens would gladly slit your throat to take that it's kind of funny when you see chickens fighting over individual strands of spaghetti running away with it at a trophy with a small flock of chickens behind them