Scraps and scratch

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

How much is too much... I toss about 1.5-2 cups of scratch per day for my 8 ladies and give them breakfast lunch and dinner scraps. It's usually not too much, a half a banana here and some sausage there... and I'd rather it go to them than in the trash! But I don't want them to get fat lol.

And what are some major No nos for scraps?

 

[Kiki]

Have you seen this:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production

 

[BYCforlife]

I make sure my hens have access to feed for a while before giving them treats. I give my chickens a lot more compost, but I give it later in the day so they have eaten layer diet feed first.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I think it's very important to know what you can and what you shouldn't feed your chickens. We all want our chickens to be healthy. So that means we must be knowledgable.

 

[Kiki]

Here is a good thread to read too:
#1

 

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

Have you seen this:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production

That is a great article!

 

[Jrobinsonmtplus3]

I think it's very important to know what you can and what you shouldn't feed your chickens. We all want our chickens to be healthy. So that means we must be knowledgable.

Yes if I am ever in question about a scrap I search here first.

 

[Honeybee22]

I've heard a lot about chickens dying from fatty liver disease. One girl was sharing about how she had 3 hens die back to back and then found out that was fatty liver disease. She had been feeding her chickens nothing but scratch and treats like mealworms.

Now, that's an extreme example, but for my girls I stay away from table scraps and store bought premixed scratch that is sometimes coated in soy bean oil.

My 9 girls (and 1 boy) LOVE thawed corn, and rollled oats. I throw a couple handfuls of oats and corn in their grassy run twice a day for them to hunt and find, but that's about it. Oh yeah.. And they get a watermelon or butternut squash once or twice a week. I try to stick to only fruits, veggies, grains, and greens for treats and I TRY not to over do it. BUT.. That's just me being paranoid.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We had neighbors who were trying to be helpful with left overs, including what wasn't eaten from their kids lunch. Often it included chips LOL and we had to educate them on what the chickens could safely eat. Ours love lizards and frogs and the occasional rat or mouse found in the backyard where they free range during the day. Also love to sanitize our kitchen garden after harvest.