Topic of the Week - Feeding table scraps to your flock

[sumi]

Much table scraps and "human food" are safe to feed to chickens, but it should always be fed in moderation. Treats of any kind should never make up more than 10% of a chicken's daily food intake. My flock gets cooked eggs, leftover pasta, rice, cooked potatoes, some meat, bread and most other leftovers. Vegetable and fruit leftovers in this house go to the mealworms.

Foods unsuitable for chickens are:

Raw, green potato peels (Contains a toxic substance called solanine that can be harmful to chickens.)
Very salty food (Excess can cause salt poisoning in chickens)
Candy, chocolate and other sugary treats (Is bad for them and chocolate is bad for most pets)
Uncooked eggs (Can encourage egg eating)
Dry or uncooked beans ( Contains a substance called hemglutin, which is toxic to birds)

Chickens are fairly good at avoiding food that they know are bad for them, note fairly. I have seen my birds devour some strange things in time, like polystyrene!

 

[ChefGigiGaggero]

The own me ! I feed greens daily. And whatever scraps left over from meal prep the day prior but I don't cook family meal from Fri -sat nights. So only four maybe five days a week. Sometimes there's an abundance and sometimes there is not. Info treat w some seeds and raisins ocassionally - they feed in the morning and seem to be STARVED again my 5 pm . I'm feeding about 1/4 -1/2 lb per bird.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

My girls *love* watermelon, cooked oatmeal, yogurt, and blueberries! It was so hot last month, I mixed a spoonful of yogurt with water, added a few blueberries (squished), and froze it. They loved that, especially when I turned the block upside-down and the blueberries were on the top.

 

[rlvellenga]

Mine are super spoiled and come running whenever the back door opens. Favorites are watermelon rinds, grapes, corn (even the empty cobs we've eaten they will pick at with great gusto) and bananas. On really cold winter nights I make a warm porridge of oatmeal, corn, blueberries and anything else I'd think they'd like. They also love fruitsicles as a cool down in really hot weather. Also stale bread, tortilla chips, crackers and heels from bread. They usually leave behind any onions, carrots or lettuce. Oh also love cheese and yogurt!

 

[ms chicky]

I feed my chicks most table scraps except meat products. They love watermelon rinds!

 

[radian89]

We just started keeping chickens a couple of months ago so we are still experimenting with scraps. They do get fruits and/or veggies every day from leftovers or prep scraps. Tomatoes, lettuce, cukes, zuchinni, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon. They do NOT like peaches, pears or bananas! They will go for lettuce and blueberries first. When I know the weather is going to be hot I will keep them in the fridge so the chickens get a chilled treat. I tried plain greek yogurt and they walked away but the do love cooked oatmeal. Bread is a limited treat, maybe once a week. I haven't tried meat scraps yet but as colder weather comes there will be different things to try! One thing is for sure...they are spoiled feather-babies!!! When they see mama coming from the house with her hands full they start pacing and hopping around and sound like they are chirping! Love them!

 

[rjohns39]

I am new as well... I haven't tried any meat products other than meal worms so far... They go crazy over salad (tomatoes, cukes, lettuces and finally onions. They turned their noses up on Corn on the cob and they only seem interested in the most tender parts of a cabbage, no outer leaves--but I continue to experiment. As with one of the other posts, not planning on letting them try poultry meat. If and when they give me enough eggs to share, I plan on giving them a shot at scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms. I still have a LOT to learn...

 

[AuntKK]

I only have 1 Silkie, she is very fussy about scraps. She loves corn on the Cobb, Watermelon and lobster. I freeze plain yogurt in ice cube trays and add mealy worms or crickets to them. Both her and the hedgehog get those and love them.

 

[Bccblue88]

I feed my girls most everything. Try not to do anything raw (pretty much stick to things I would be willing to eat). They love cantaloupe seeds during the summer. They always have lay mix, get scratch most days, and free range every evening so the table scraps are supplemental. I do notice that they have their favorite foods and a willing to let the least liked food be stolen by the dogs (sneaky little mutts!).

 

[CPF Kate]

My coop is down near the compost. Anything that's in the compost, the chickens can have. So fruit/vegetable peelings, rinds, leftovers. During the day only if my kids make popcorn the chickens can have some (very rare) and when I have too many eggs (all the time - no one is buying) they get hard boiled, chopped, and fed back.