Topic of the Week - Feeding table scraps to your flock

[sumi]

The only thing mine WON'T eat is celery and bananas. Otherwise everything is on the menu.

Some of you have mentioned that you give them eggshells. I was told to only give them THEIR eggshells - and absolutely nothing from the store. Can anyone explain why this is?

It's strange, my birds eat bananas. Not enthusiastically, but they eat them...

I think not using eggshells from unknown sources is a precaution. There is always a small chance those shells may be contaminated by something you don't want to introduce to your flock.

 

[Boxersandchicke]

I know it's not "table scraps" but was wondering about dry cat food crumble. My 2 cats act as if the bowl of food is empty if the kibble is broken into small pieces. They will sit there and whine until I put fresh food in there. At times I could have a solid inch or 2 in there. I usually toss it. Thoughts?

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I wouldn't give them a lot but a little cat food isn't going to hurt.

 

[The Duck Ladie]

My duck's favorite's are little red grapes and peas, but they also like spaghetti, melon, and salad. Though most of our table scraps go to the goats...

 

[The Duck Ladie]

I know it's not "table scraps" but was wondering about dry cat food crumble. My 2 cats act as if the bowl of food is empty if the kibble is broken into small pieces. They will sit there and whine until I put fresh food in there. At times I could have a solid inch or 2 in there. I usually toss it. Thoughts?

Giving your ducks cat kibbles before they are shown (at a fair or something like that) actually helps them look their best.

 

[PrairieChickens]

Quote: Whereas mine go bananas for bananas. It's like their favorite thing, and they eat them peel and all...

 

[azygous]

There are few table scraps from my "table", but I do toss the flock some from time to time.

One thing I've learned not to give them in any quantity is bread. Several years ago, I gave them some leftover turkey stuffing that had outlived all the rest of the Thanksgiving leftovers. I had my first case of sour crop following that.

 

[Nardo]

Mine are super spoiled and come running whenever the back door opens.

Mine too. Spoiled girls...

 

[Nardo]

We compost and I sort of haphazardly divide whatever is going into the compost bin between the hens and the bin. Their favourite, besides grub worms and red wigglers, is cheese. They will eat cooked beans but like the red ones the least. They will eat around them and then finally, grudgingly, eat the pintos.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Mine get things from the garden and purchased watermelon and other large melons. Yes I buy it just for them. Melons from the neighbor and odds and ends from their gardens as well. Spoiled? Perhaps but I wont tell them that.

I have given mine hamburger, turkey carcass from Thanksgiving and fish. Yes they love all three. The turkey kind of freaked me out how fast they tore into eating it.

When they are molting I make sure to give them fish and other protein kicks.

Yogurt is something I have given and they do love it. Plain is the best option in my opinion as when you read the ingredients in the flavored ones there are some things that one cannot pronounce. I am thinking if I cannot say it they should not eat it.

Don't be fooled by that ".....and Natural or All Natural" label. The castor gland aka anal gland of a beaver supposedly tastes and smells just like strawberries and beaver castor is Organic to Boot.

Don't get your hopes to high however because beaver castor is much much to expensive an ingredient to be used by those big bad Multi-National Ice Cream companies so you strawberry ice cream lovers will just have to suck it up and get buy without your daily fix of beaver anal gland puree.

What I can't understand is where is all the outrage over not getting any beaver castor in your diet?