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

[Chickassan]

I wouldn't do it at all.
You don't know what mouths have been on that food and if they had any diseases or did drugs.
Nope, up to you but it would be a nooooope here.

 

[Sequel]

Why not feed chickens food off plates? I can't think of a better use on the planet (including composting) to properly manage food waste.

People are all over the map about this issue. I have a friend who has a flock of around 13, 4 of which are 11 years old. They do have free access to commercial feed, but are given absolutely everything and anything that comes out of the kitchen plus excess bread discarded by a bakery at the end of the week. Many people stop by and dump their waste in the run as well, at any given time there have been whole rotten onions, banana peels with the stickers on, leftover spaghetti, whole potatoes, whole raw carrots, even avocados! There are empty dirty containers and tupperware lids all over the run, the water is usually disgusting, and I just don't get it, lol.

I just can't "unknow" the good advice from people here, so I scrub the water buckets, pick up the poo, provide all flock ration with oystershell on the side, limit treats, provide protected pasture forage, and put them to bed at night in a secure coop with excellent ventilation and electric fence backup!
When I first met this woman, she mixed scratch into the layer feed, a huge no no from the experts everywhere. Even then she had old chickens. I try to do everything "right" but can't seem to keep more than 3 at any given time when my goal is to have 6 or 7. The oldest I've had was 4 years old. Good luck with your chickens, use your own instincts, try stuff out and see how it goes!

 

[Naser]

The best way to save on chicken feed is to get rodents and wild birds proof feeders, other ways are to get breeds with good conversion ratio, not to have many roosters and not to have many old hens.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

@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.

 

[Folly's place]

Commercial producers have figured it out already; very high producing hens, or Cornishx for meat, crowded indoors, in all-in, all- out flock management.
Most of us aren't motivated to manage our flocks that way, so we can't be as cost effective, regardless.
It's possible that your restaurant friend will be breaking laws if 'reused' food is sent home with you. There are federal and sometimes tougher state laws regulating this, and your restaurant friend may not want to get in trouble. Research before jumping in!
Mary

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

It's possible that your restaurant friend will be breaking laws if 'reused' food is sent home with you. There are federal and sometimes tougher state laws regulating this, and your restaurant friend may not want to get in trouble. Research before jumping in!
Mary

It's a good point to understand your local regulations.

In case there's anyone else in my little corner of the world (RI) - the state has regulations against feeding food waste to swine, but nothing on the books about chicken or other poultry.

I worked with the local Farm Bureau, who put me in touch with the state veterinarian, to confirm.

 

[Folly's place]

Does 'food waste' include food off plates already served, or stuff not used, kitchen scraps, etc?
Mary

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Does 'food waste' include food off plates already served, or stuff not used, kitchen scraps, etc?
Mary

I'm aware of no legal difference, at least in this state.

The state also has regulations around composting of food waste, most based on the size of the operation (as measured in yards of waste taken in per day).

 

[AmyJane725]

@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.

Agree to disagree on this one. If people could "manage to feed themselves 'people food' without turning into an unhealthy mess" nearly 40% of Americans wouldn't be obese, and we wouldn't have 40 year olds dying from heart attacks.

To the original question: I would never feed my chickens any pizza. That's not nutritionally proper for them in any way shape or form. It has calories, and will keep them alive (for a while anyway). That's all. If that's your goal go for it, but if you want to actually make sure they're healthy don't do it. If the salad has dressing I wouldn't give it to them either.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Agree to disagree on this one. If people could "manage to feed themselves 'people food' without turning into an unhealthy mess" nearly 40% of Americans wouldn't be obese, and we wouldn't have 40 year olds dying from heart attacks.

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.