so i finally tried feeding some raw meat...

[technodoll]

...and the flock went mental!

Yesterday I fed them about 1/2 cup of raw ground beef mixed with a tablespoon of canned dog food (leftovers from my dog's breakfast...) and I held the small bowl in my hands, only the bossy ones got to eat any of course since they kept pecking the other girls away...

Polished off in 3 minutes, LOL!

Huge eggs this morning, including a pale pink one

Today same thing, only it was about 1 cup of the meat mix as a late afternoon snack and about 10 of the 14 chickens got to eat some. A few had a taste and were like "meh, whatever" but most of them are mad for it.

Please tell me I'm not poisoning my flock? Or altering the taste of the eggs?

I only plan on doing this about every other day as a protein supplement when it gets cold, chilly cold...

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I've fed mine cooked meat before, haven't ever fed them raw meat.


eta -- I believe I read somehwere (no personal experience with this - never tasted it, myself) that dog food has a high salt content. Cat food would be better - less salt.

 

[wombat]

We use a small amount of canned cat food as a supplement coming out of molt.

 

[rstampa]

Mojo Chick'n :

I've fed mine cooked meat before, haven't ever fed them raw meat.


eta -- I believe I read somehwere (no personal experience with this - never tasted it, myself) that dog food has a high salt content. Cat food would be better - less salt.

Yes you are right. Too much salt in Dog food. I'm not sure about the raw ground meat tho. Just my thoughts on it but raw meat can have Salmonellae in it. If I give my girls any type of animal flesh it is a can of Tuna fish about once a month which is high in protein low in fat and no salt. If you feed them a good quality grain, then that should be quit adequate for their daily nutritional needs. Oh and you high quality grains do not add animal proteins in their grain. Purina for one.
Just my thoughts on the subject.

 

[technodoll]

OK no more canned dog food - thanks for the advice!

As for the raw meat, my dogs eat it every day and they're fine... never seen any salmonella.

But just wondering, are chicken's digestive systems designed to process raw meat in small quantities?! I don't want to make them sick but I want them to have a variety in their protein sources, just as nature intended... wild birds have no pellets available

 

[honeydoll]

Quote:
I would like to know the answer to this too. I have wondered the same thing often. I've heard of chickens eating mice, toads, frogs even squirrels they catch and those are raw (of course) so if they hunt those down, why not other meat sources raw? Very interested to hear this answer. Great question technodoll. When I processed my meaties a few months ago I had to fight off my hens, they wanted the innards so bad. So that let me know they love raw meat and maybe need it? Not sure. So glad you asked this question.

 

[Akane]

Chickens are omnivores and eat small prey like mice. Yes they should be able to handle raw meat. I also doubt a chickens digestive tract makes them too sensitive to bacteria or food poisoning situations. People are way too paranoid about salmonella normally and then even more so when it comes to omnivorous and carnivorous animals who should be able to handle much higher levels than humans. As for canned food the salt content is greatly going to depend on the food. Some canned cat foods are probably extremely high compared to some canned dog foods. The cheaper or lower quality either brand of food is the more likely it is to be high in such things. Cat food is also debated for other reasons so nothing is perfect. So long as you don't feed too much neither should be an issue. Same with fish. There's both the concerns about high mercury in canned fish, a potential for even more salt if you don't get the no salt varieties, and concerns about it making odd tasting eggs but if you don't feed too much it's a healthy protein addition.

 

[Tala]

I raw feed my dog.

Last bit of hamburger just about to spoil? Offered to the dog (who had already had her meal) and she didn't eat it.
Took it out to the birds and they cleaned up every bite.
Should have seen the look on the dog's face when I came back in with the empty container!!!

 

[rstampa]

Quote:
I would like to know the answer to this too. I have wondered the same thing often. I've heard of chickens eating mice, toads, frogs even squirrels they catch and those are raw (of course) so if they hunt those down, why not other meat sources raw? Very interested to hear this answer. Great question technodoll. When I processed my meaties a few months ago I had to fight off my hens, they wanted the innards so bad. So that let me know they love raw meat and maybe need it? Not sure. So glad you asked this question.

I have a question for technodoll. You said you feed your dogs raw meat. Does that mean you make your own dog food at home?

babydoll, have you ever seen your chickens actural kill Squirrel or any other animal?

 

[Chickenmaven]

My DD raised pheasants for fair. Imagine my (squeamish) surprise when I found then devouring a mole! Poor critter...