slop grinder

[toddreed]

I've been feeding my hens table-scrap from the kitchen: plate scrapings, egg-shells, rinds and peels, spoilt veggies, you name it, they love it. I've been chopping up the bigger pieces with a knife on a cutting block,into little bite-sized slivers, and it's kind of a pain in the butt. My goal as a "permaculturalist" is to be as lazy as possible, so I'm thinking about setting up a garbage-disposal or something of that nature to grind up all the kitchen waste into peckable pieces.

Wondering if anyone else has tried that, and what's a nice affordable tool to use - meat grinder, garbage disposal, food processor, apple press? ?

-todd

 

[farmin'chick]

How kind of you to do all that preparation! I throw them whole vegetables, bones with meat left on them, etc., etc. Mine will dismantle a whole pumpkin in short order. Their sharp little beaks will tear apart most anything, and it's quite entertaining to watch them grab a hunk of whatever and run around with it while everyone else chases them.

 

[rdranch]

farmin'chick :

How kind of you to do all that preparation! I throw them whole vegetables, bones with meat left on them, etc., etc. Mine will dismantle a whole pumpkin in short order. Their sharp little beaks will tear apart most anything, and it's quite entertaining to watch them grab a hunk of whatever and run around with it while everyone else chases them.

farmin'chick has it right. All that preperation is great for composting things faster, but I don't think the chickens really care. On the plus side the longer it takes them to devour something the less time they have to irritate each other. I say keep it simple and they will love you just as much!

 

[lleighmay]

Other posters are exactly right- they will tear up anything edible in short order. Mine get whole pieces of whatever leftovers I've got, whole pumpkins, melons, etc, and anything else without worrying whether it's in bite-sized pieces. They'll be fine! Besides- it gives them a project to occupy them during the day

 

[toddreed]

Thanks,

As you may assume, I'm just getting into chickens, learning the ropes. Thanks for all yall's quick replies. I'm looking foreward to being a part of this forum.

-todd

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I've given mine whole watermelons, and they manage to eat it all
Cutting things up isnt necessary at all