Topic of the Week - Feeding table scraps to your flock

[Burger Bob]

One topic that is commonly discussed when it comes to feeding and watering your flock, is what table scraps can you feed your flock? So we thought we'd ask everyone to come and give your perspective and answers to this topic. What all should and shouldn't you feed your flock? Please tell us your thoughts and practices when it comes to this weeks topic.

How much of the table scraps can your feed your flock at a time?

What all table scraps should and shouldn't you feed your flock?

How often should you give your flock table scraps.

I feed my birds anything and everything from the kitchen, leftover garden harvest I may have, crawfish, shrimp and crab leftover shells. Anything really. Chickens are dinosaurs with feathers. They no what they can and can't eat. At lest that's my opinion.

 

[tbcorum]

I am very careful as to what I feed my chickens. I don't want sick chickens. I do give them veggies from garden and my veggies have no chemicals on them. They love tomatoes which is their favorite. They get blue and blk berries. I give them nothing that has mold or gone bad. I freeze lots of corn and berries to feed them for the winter months so they have treats then as well. they don't like cabbage, they are picky. I grew them carrots this yr for the first time but didn't care too much for the tops but the bunnies loved the tops and chickens liked the carrots if I shredded them for them. Like I said, they are very spoiled. they love mashed potatoes. Cooked green beans, none raw and esp the ends with the the point to stick their guts.
the overall favorite I do believe is when I cut hay and the seeds left on the equipment from the hay field. I scoop them up, put in a bag, feed them a little at a time and they think this is candy.
I cook rice for them, add sugar to give them extra energy during the heat and add Epsom salt for magnesium, a tiny bit of baking soda and make sure the rice still has some water in it and not dry so they can easily digest. This combination of minerals is like adding calcium. I save the egg shells the family uses, bake them and add the shells to the food so they are not eating raw shells to get the taste for raw egg shells and start breaking eggs and eating them in the nest. that is a big NO NO. NO ROTTEN FOOD, NO SPOILED OR SOUR FOOD.

I KEEP MY GIRLS UP IN FENCED GRASS LOT. I LOST ONE THIS WEEK I HAND RAISED DUE TO A PREDATOR, PROBABLY A HAWK AND NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL THEY FREE RANGE. IT HURT ME SO BADLY BECAUSE SHE WAS FROM INCUBATOR TO MY HAND WHEN STILL WET AND WAS WITH ME EVERYWHERE I WENT EVERYDAY OF HER LIFE. NEVER AGAIN WILL THIS HAPPEN. THEY WILL BE IN THEIR COVERED LOT. MY GIRLS ARE LIKE CHILDREN SO THIS HAS BEEN AN AWFUL WEEK. SHE RODE ZERO TURN MOWER, TRACTOR, TRUCK, MY SHOULDER, SHE WAS SO SPECIAL. CAME IN HOUSE TO GET EGG ORDER TOG. AND THAT QUICK SHE WAS GONE...

I don't give them any meat of any kind or food from fridge cooked in meat. Chickens eat veggies not meat. now this is just me, you can do what you want, but this is what I do. I try to keep the girls healthy and happy. if I can do this with the food, I do so.

I give them clean water daily, keep the feathers out of the lot picked up so they are not eating them and get a stopped up crop from eating feathers or getting feathers stuck to their feet by stepping in dropping then stepping on feathers. I keep poop cleaned and picked up daily in the lot to prevent flies from laying eggs and the chickens pecking the larva and getting disease from this. Again keep them clean, good food, water everyday, love and then sometimes they get sick in spite of all you do. keep laying pans clean as well. Key is keep them clean, good food, and clean water.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I am very careful as to what I feed my chickens.  I don't want sick chickens.  I do give them veggies from garden and my veggies have no chemicals on them.  They love tomatoes which is their favorite.  They get blue and blk berries. I give them nothing that has mold or gone bad.  I freeze lots of corn and berries to feed them for the winter months so they have treats then as well.  they don't like cabbage, they are picky. I grew them carrots this yr for the first time but didn't care too much for the tops but the bunnies loved the tops and chickens liked the carrots if I shredded them for them.  Like I said, they are very spoiled.  they love mashed potatoes. Cooked green beans, none raw and esp the ends with the the point to stick their guts.
the overall favorite I do believe is when I cut hay and the seeds left on the equipment from the hay field.  I scoop them up, put in a bag, feed them a little at a time and they think this is candy.
I cook rice for them, add sugar to give them extra energy during the heat and add Epsom salt for magnesium,  a tiny bit of baking soda and make sure the rice still has some water in it and not dry so they can easily digest.  This combination of minerals is like adding calcium.  I save the egg shells the family uses, bake them and add the shells to the food so they are not eating raw shells to get the taste for raw egg shells and start breaking eggs and eating them in the nest.  that is a big NO NO.  NO ROTTEN FOOD, NO SPOILED OR SOUR FOOD.

I KEEP MY GIRLS UP IN FENCED GRASS LOT.  I LOST ONE THIS WEEK I HAND RAISED DUE TO A PREDATOR, PROBABLY A HAWK AND NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL THEY FREE RANGE.  IT HURT ME SO BADLY BECAUSE SHE WAS FROM INCUBATOR TO MY HAND WHEN STILL WET AND WAS WITH ME EVERYWHERE I WENT EVERYDAY OF HER LIFE.  NEVER AGAIN WILL THIS HAPPEN.  THEY WILL BE IN THEIR COVERED LOT. MY GIRLS ARE LIKE CHILDREN SO THIS HAS BEEN AN AWFUL WEEK. SHE RODE ZERO TURN MOWER, TRACTOR, TRUCK, MY SHOULDER,  SHE WAS SO SPECIAL.  CAME IN HOUSE TO GET EGG ORDER TOG. AND THAT QUICK SHE WAS GONE...
 
I don't give them any meat of any kind or food from fridge cooked in meat.  Chickens eat veggies not meat.  now this is just me, you can do what you want, but this is what I do.  I try to keep the girls healthy and happy.  if I can do this with the food, I do so.
 
I give them clean water daily, keep the feathers out of the lot picked up so they are not eating them and get a stopped up crop from eating feathers or getting feathers stuck to their feet by stepping in dropping then stepping on feathers.  I keep poop cleaned and picked up daily in the lot to prevent flies from laying eggs and the chickens pecking the larva and getting disease from this.  Again keep them clean, good food, water everyday, love and then sometimes they get sick in spite of all you do.  keep laying pans clean as well.  Key is keep them clean, good food, and clean water.
 
 
 
 


         ​

You sound just like me but I free range but not when I am not home and not unsupervised, they do not get anything with mold or spoiled, they get raw shells for over a year now and they haven't ever broke any eggs open. They are my kids everytime they see me they think hey are getting treats or something and start running.

 

[tampachick]

I have started feeding my girls some plain all natural yogurt with bananas and blueberries mixed in it (fresh fruits). They LOVE it and love to throw the berries in the air, chase and finally eat them. Odd 'ducks'.

 

[tampachick]

I am very careful as to what I feed my chickens. I don't want sick chickens. I do give them veggies from garden and my veggies have no chemicals on them. They love tomatoes which is their favorite. They get blue and blk berries. I give them nothing that has mold or gone bad. I freeze lots of corn and berries to feed them for the winter months so they have treats then as well. they don't like cabbage, they are picky. I grew them carrots this yr for the first time but didn't care too much for the tops but the bunnies loved the tops and chickens liked the carrots if I shredded them for them. Like I said, they are very spoiled. they love mashed potatoes. Cooked green beans, none raw and esp the ends with the the point to stick their guts.
the overall favorite I do believe is when I cut hay and the seeds left on the equipment from the hay field. I scoop them up, put in a bag, feed them a little at a time and they think this is candy.
I cook rice for them, add sugar to give them extra energy during the heat and add Epsom salt for magnesium, a tiny bit of baking soda and make sure the rice still has some water in it and not dry so they can easily digest. This combination of minerals is like adding calcium. I save the egg shells the family uses, bake them and add the shells to the food so they are not eating raw shells to get the taste for raw egg shells and start breaking eggs and eating them in the nest. that is a big NO NO. NO ROTTEN FOOD, NO SPOILED OR SOUR FOOD.

I KEEP MY GIRLS UP IN FENCED GRASS LOT. I LOST ONE THIS WEEK I HAND RAISED DUE TO A PREDATOR, PROBABLY A HAWK AND NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL THEY FREE RANGE. IT HURT ME SO BADLY BECAUSE SHE WAS FROM INCUBATOR TO MY HAND WHEN STILL WET AND WAS WITH ME EVERYWHERE I WENT EVERYDAY OF HER LIFE. NEVER AGAIN WILL THIS HAPPEN. THEY WILL BE IN THEIR COVERED LOT. MY GIRLS ARE LIKE CHILDREN SO THIS HAS BEEN AN AWFUL WEEK. SHE RODE ZERO TURN MOWER, TRACTOR, TRUCK, MY SHOULDER, SHE WAS SO SPECIAL. CAME IN HOUSE TO GET EGG ORDER TOG. AND THAT QUICK SHE WAS GONE...

I don't give them any meat of any kind or food from fridge cooked in meat. Chickens eat veggies not meat. now this is just me, you can do what you want, but this is what I do. I try to keep the girls healthy and happy. if I can do this with the food, I do so.

I give them clean water daily, keep the feathers out of the lot picked up so they are not eating them and get a stopped up crop from eating feathers or getting feathers stuck to their feet by stepping in dropping then stepping on feathers. I keep poop cleaned and picked up daily in the lot to prevent flies from laying eggs and the chickens pecking the larva and getting disease from this. Again keep them clean, good food, water everyday, love and then sometimes they get sick in spite of all you do. keep laying pans clean as well. Key is keep them clean, good food, and clean water.

I agree with your healthy feeding habits! I am also so sorry for your loss. I lost a baby Jersey Giant that was only 2 weeks old to a stray cat. I THOUGHT she was safe, but sadly, she wasn't as protected in her outside habitat as I thought (which is why my 2 7-week old JGs now sleep in a small cage in my garage at night). It definitely hurts to lose any of our pets.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I have just started giving my girls yogurt, bread and a few veggie table scraps. They free range in my backyard from sunup to sundown.  Regular crumble in their feeders and some scratch for treats, but I'd like to get away from that and more to table scraps.

My question is, I read somewhere that citrus is a big no-no for hens.  I can see that it might be too acidic, or perhaps the pulp, but I'm not sure the real reason why.  Can anyone clue me in?  I tend to be curious and like to know the why's a lot! 

thanks!  Karen

My flock gets the "byproduct" of the probiotic beverages I make, including lemon slices, raisins, apple or pear slices, dried fig, berries, watermelon, ginger, banana, etc. (depending on the beverage flavors). They're not huge fans of citrus, but they (and the ducks) will eat the fermented lemon slices.

This thread indicates that some people believe there's a link between feeding citrus and feather picking: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/274883/why-cant-you-feed-your-chicken-citrus. Mine don't get a lot of citrus, but we haven't had any feather picking problems.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Mine get something most days, not always table scraps. Cucumbers, watermelon rinds, cantaloupe rinds. They LOVE meat scraps - shocked me. I also have 2 dogs who NEVER get table scraps (we feed them raw meat only) and they look very vexed when the chicken get the table scraps and they can't even taste them
Kristy

Why should you be shocked that your chickens love meat?

Chickens are the one animal on Earth that is closely related to a T-Rex Dinosaur so it would be natural for chickens to eat meat, and a lot of it.

 

[Bobby Basham]

I'm not going to blame anyone, but it's been put out there that chickens are vegetarians and should be raised as such, and some folks are gullible to accept that. Look at robins, sparrows and other song birds...they're feeding their young tasty worms and grubs, whatever protein they can find. Even penguins consume protein and regurgitate their food to feed the young. I'd have no problem giving my future girls any meat.

Chickens are closely related to the T-Rex and all those variations of Raptors from millions of years ago. Oh, I like Paleontology. --BB

 

[DonHess]

For goodness' sake. Free range chickens pull worms from the ground and eat any kind of bug they come across. How on earth (other than never letting them outside) would you ever make a vegetarian out of a chicken?

 

[Bobby Basham]

For goodness' sake. Free range chickens pull worms from the ground and eat any kind of bug they come across. How on earth (other than never letting them outside) would you ever make a vegetarian out of a chicken?

Indeed. Even if you keep them locked up, there are bound to be some crawlies in that deep bedding/litter that they would go after in a heartbeat. They'll get some protein in one way or another. I'd say, just let chickens be chickens. If you can afford to add a little extra protein along the way, then good. --BB