Topic of the Week - Feeding table scraps to your flock

[yyz0yyz0]

Hello
At what age are you allowed to feed them table scraps? We have ours in a run and they're around 16 weeks old.
Thanks.

Go for it, they are so ready for something besides crumbles.

the reason to delay giving scraps to young ones is that they may not have access to grit to help grind the scraps up. Chick food requires no grit, so if you are going to supplement chick food with scraps you need to make sure they have grit or access to garden dirt/soil when expanding their diet beyond crumbles and yogurt

 

[JDisme]

I was feeding mine scraps at 16 weeks they are laying now. It is important that you still feed them grower (if lot laying yet) then the scraps (as previous posters have stated). This way they are getting the proper nutrition. I tend to feed layer in the morning then scraps a couple of hours before roosting time.

 

[chuckachucka]

I have nine chicks which are a week and a half old and today their mother came out of the coop and ate some grass when I opened the door. A couple of the chicks copied her, then they all went back in the coop where they stay all day because they are still so small. I'm just a bit worried because they don't have access to grit and usually eat just chick crumbs so will they be ok with the bit of grass they ate today? Or should I give them some grit in the coop?

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have nine chicks which are a week and a half old and today their mother came out of the coop and ate some grass when I opened the door. A couple of the chicks copied her, then they all went back in the coop where they stay all day because they are still so small. I'm just a bit worried because they don't have access to grit and usually eat just chick crumbs so will they be ok with the bit of grass they ate today? Or should I give them some grit in the coop?

They sell grit for chicks it's small granite, about the size of a pin head. It's called chick grit.
I started to feed scratch grains at eight weeks, only what they consume in 10 to 15 minutes twice a day, that's when I offered grit. GC

 

[Thamasin]

I feed every bit of veggie scraps. I limit the meat, but mostly because the dog can do a better job than any predator could on my fence. My neighbors give me all their giant zucchini, cukes, etc. The dark days of winter are coming soon, my ladies are enjoying summer. I have layer pellets and chick starter in their coop, and throw them some scratch feed every morning. My chicks free range as soon as they are smart enough to get out.

 

[chickiemom3]

I have heard that you should not feed chickens beans. Does anyone know if this applies to green beans as well?

 

[SHERRING7712]

I have heard that you should not feed chickens beans. Does anyone know if this applies to green beans as well?

I believe it applies to "dried" beans, peas, legumes, etc. Somebody feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here but I believe it is the "dried" aspect that is a no-no.

 

[Lil Jon s mama]

I give them the pulp from my juicer the babies Love it, I plant extra lettuce tomatoes squash corn melons collard greens & cucumbers just for my flock In the winter I make them oatmeal with corn in it plus bananas. They might be a bit spoiled. Oh and yogurt

 

[olivigus]

I try to give them something fresh and vegetative every day, since they don't get to forage. This past spring, miners' lettuce grew all over on our property, and they just loved it. I would give them a bucketful nearly every day, and their egg yolks were almost orange as a result. They get kale and other greens, zucchini, baby bok choi and grapes fairly regularly. They love watermelon too--it is incredible how they leave nothing but that thin shell behind--and they've been enjoying some corn on the cob this week.

I make sure I have enough for everyone before I make a treat trip out to the run though, otherwise it gets a bit brutal. Rather like chumming for sharks.
Some of them really like it when I hold things out so they can easily tear off pieces, while the lower-on-the-pecking-order gals usually just grab a piece of something from the pile and make a run for it.

I have given them leftover bread before, which they go nuts for, but it feels more like "junk food" to me, so mostly I try to stick with green, growing things. I've been reading some of the threads here on BYC about fermenting feed and want to try that soon too.

 

[FaerieChicken]

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

Thats so funny, my dogs will go eat our table scraps with the chickens! Also, when I feed the dogs, the chickens come running and punk my pups for their food, LOL!

We feed table scraps when available, but nothing harshly processed! I will also provide them with greek yogurt, cooked oatmeal, scrambled eggs.... They will eat ANYTHING, just about, I learned. I don't ever have to worry about the coops or runs being messy from it, because I feed them at the composting piles, which ends up getting them to scratch and mix it for me, and what they don't eat, gets mixed in! <3