The local Pizza Restaurant is giving us their scraps of pizza and salad.

[Sequel]

@Sequel - Feeding food scraps and having birds live in squalor are two different topics that are unrelated in my mind...you can do either without the other. I'm pretty confident that since most people can manage to feed themselves "people food" without it turning into an unhealthy mess, they can probably manage the same with their animals.

@Sequel - Feeding food scraps and having birds live in squalor are two different topics that are unrelated in my mind...you can do either without the other. I'm pretty confident that since most people can manage to feed themselves "people food" without it turning into an unhealthy mess, they can probably manage the same with their animals.

I was responding to the OP.

 

[Sequel]

I was responding to the OP.

Oops looks like it was your comment I was responding to. Sorry, just ignore it,

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Oops looks like it was your comment I was responding to. Sorry, just ignore it,

No worries at all...the post kind of makes sense in reply to either the OP or mine, so we can consider it a SUPER UTILITY post!

 

[Sequel]

No worries at all...the post kind of makes sense in reply to either the OP or mine, so we can consider it a SUPER UTILITY post!

I still don't get it! How can she have 11 year old chickens in such conditions???? I'll go down to give them kale or dandelions and they're just as happy and healthy as can be! Tons of eggs too! Lol!

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I still don't get it! How can she have 11 year old chickens in such conditions???? I'll go down to give them kale or dandelions and they're just as happy and healthy as can be! Tons of eggs too! Lol!

I've known a number of people who lived well into their 80's who smoke, drank, ate bacon every day, and never exercised. I've also known people under age 65 who were perfectly healthy right up until they dropped dead far too early.

Doing good or bad for your health (or the health of your livestock) isn't a guarantee...it just shifts the odds. A lot more people who take care of themselves will live long lives...but...

 

[AmyJane725]

I was actually referring more to the ability to keep the area clean and free of rotting food rather than healthy eating, but that's fine.

I wouldn't go hunting out pizza specifically for my flock, but other food waste - especially veggies...it seems crazy NOT to give that to them, in my opinion.

Ah, I see what you were getting at. My apologies.

I don’t see a big problem with giving veggie scraps. I just worry about throwing off the dietary balance by giving too many.

 

[AmyJane725]

I've known a number of people who lived well into their 80's who smoke, drank, ate bacon every day, and never exercised. I've also known people under age 65 who were perfectly healthy right up until they dropped dead far too early.

Doing good or bad for your health (or the health of your livestock) isn't a guarantee...it just shifts the odds. A lot more people who take care of themselves will live long lives...but...

Genetics plays a huge part in things. Some win the genetic lottery, some don't.

Also, are you SURE these chickens are 11 years old? Could some have died/been replaced/were living there before you moved in so you're just taking her word for it?

 

[Morrigan]

I still don't get it! How can she have 11 year old chickens in such conditions???? I'll go down to give them kale or dandelions and they're just as happy and healthy as can be! Tons of eggs too! Lol!

Does she breed her own chickens? These chickens could be uniquely adapted to their environment.

 

[Sequel]

Does she breed her own chickens? These chickens could be uniquely adapted to their environment.

No she doesn't. The 11 year olds are hatchery Silver Laced Wyandottes. She got them from a neighbor who was selling their horse farm and were going to chop off their heads. They were probably 2 or 3 years old at the time. She had her son build a coop for them, and they're still there! There was a group of Rhode Island Reds that she saved from slaughter a couple years after that, but they got killed by a raccoon. The local chicken vet is a friend, although these 4 have never needed that. I mean these birds are loved but the food, omg. FWIW my friend has Lays potato chips for lunch, "it's food, right?" LOL!

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I was actually referring more to the ability to keep the area clean and free of rotting food rather than healthy eating, but that's fine.

I wouldn't go hunting out pizza specifically for my flock, but other food waste - especially veggies...it seems crazy NOT to give that to them, in my opinion.

I agree with you and see nothing wrong with a little moderation. My chickens have lived so long they died of old age instead of predators and I have 2 hens that are so old they don't even lay eggs anymore. I love them and their company though. I feed my chickens everything from bread, cereal, lettuce, veggies, fruit, meat (that's getting old, but not yet).. If its not moldy and has no bad odors they get it. They do not get sugar, chocolate, avocados or beans. I've even given them cut up spaghetti on a paper plate with tomato sauce before and they loved it. They almost ate through the plate. No they don't get spaghetti every night, but they do still live very long happy lives with it is my point..