Table scraps

[jp57]

I was told that chickens could eat table scraps. That is a very vague statement. What kind of table scraps. We eat a lot a vegetables cooked in butter. Is that ok? What about meats. I know citrus isn't ok, but what about other acidic foods like tomato sauce in spaghetti or pizza. Should I stick to more grain based food like rice or bread? Any info would be great. I don't like wasting food but have 3 kids always looking to throw away food they don't want to eat and I hate seeing food go to waste.

 

[GranolaGirl72]

We feed our chickens quite a few leftovers, as long as they are fit for us to eat, they are ok for the hens with the exception of a few things. You can google a specific list, but here is a discussion that might be helpful. BTW, watching them eat spaghetti is HI-larious!!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-cant-they-eat.598481/

 

[PD-Riverman]

I was told that chickens could eat table scraps. That is a very vague statement. What kind of table scraps. We eat a lot a vegetables cooked in butter. Is that ok? What about meats. I know citrus isn't ok, but what about other acidic foods like tomato sauce in spaghetti or pizza. Should I stick to more grain based food like rice or bread? Any info would be great. I don't like wasting food but have 3 kids always looking to throw away food they don't want to eat and I hate seeing food go to waste.

Pretty much Anything you will eat----they will most probably eat. MEAT----they Love fried chicken better that you----they will eat a live animal/chicken to death if it starts bleeding----if the bleeding animal is not removed. My chickens get all the deer, hog, etc bones----things I do not use when I am processing. For personal reasons I do not feed them the guts---but all the rest----even the head if you don't mind!

 

[jennyf]

I have this same issue also with two little kids! One of the things I love most about having chickens is that between them, our dogs, and the compost pile, we have pretty much zero food waste these days. The items that our chickens get most frequently are wilted vegetables, kale and greens that are starting to get a little slimy, mushy berries, partially eaten apples, cooked rice, that kind of thing. Also meat leftovers/trimmings, salmon skin, etc. I try to rinse off most sauce or butter/oil before serving. You may also want to check the protein levels in your regular feed if you are feeding lots of table scraps. We feed a grower at 19% to give some leeway on feeding what might be lower-protein scraps. Also I try to not skimp on the meat scraps for them. I do try to avoid very processed stuff for them--I'm realizing as I write this, most of that stuff goes to the dogs if needed. I'd hesitate to toss the chickens a piece of pizza, but I only have 6, so a piece of pizza would be a decent chunk of their daily food intake.

 

[chickens really]

Just a tip....I never feed my Birds scraps of any sort...They eat a proper Chicken diet and get a veg or scratch once or twice a week...Feeding Chicken to many other things can cause behaviour problems, health problem and drop in egg production.....

 

[PD-Riverman]

Just a tip....I never feed my Birds scraps of any sort...They eat a proper Chicken diet and get a veg or scratch once or twice a week...Feeding Chicken to many other things can cause behaviour problems, health problem and drop in egg production.....

Thats the good thing about raising our own---you can raise them any way you want!!! As far as me--I been raising chickens for over 1/2 a century----All that time, I been feeding my chickens table scraps, processing scraps, lots of vegetables, grow lost of vegetables for them, even day old bread, home ground feed and have always had Very healthy chickens and Great egg production, but I agree feeding to much of one thing is not good.

 

[jp57]

I'll keep it occasional and not give them anything crazy. I gave them some watermelon over the weekend that they liked. I gave them a half of a bag of spinach the other day that they decimated. I threw in a quarter of a loaf of Italian bread this morning.

 

[chickens really]

Spinach and Bread are not good for Chickens.... Spinach impairs their ability to absorb calcium...And bread can cause impacted or sour crop.....

Just a tip....

 

[jp57]

Spinach and Bread are not good for Chickens.... Spinach impairs their ability to absorb calcium...And bread can cause impacted or sour crop.....

Just a tip....

Thanks for the tip. I'll take any I can get. That is why I asked. I keep seeing things about giving them greens, but not specifically what kind. I saw that most fruits were ok as long as it is not citrus or avocado. Is that true?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Spinach and Bread are not good for Chickens.... Spinach impairs their ability to absorb calcium...And bread can cause impacted or sour crop.....

Just a tip....

LOL, you might be right. Besides myself there are 2 BIG time chicken/farmers in my area. They get 2----that's two trailer loads---- 5 x10 by 3 to 4ft tall trailers of bread/sweet cakes each week----100's and 100's of pounds of bread each trailer load----they feed loads of it to their animals with 100's and 100's of chickens each week. One said this week she rarely gives them anything else---they free range and go through the cow pies-----beautiful chickens. Bread has never hurt them. I been feeding trash bags of day old bread for many, many years! Just saying