Treats for chickens

[zakire]

We are new at having chickens. Someone recently told us about giving chickens our leftovers. We have read some of the forum information but are unsure if there is a specific amount to give them... too much? We want them to get all the nutrients that they need and are wondering if feeding them treats would take away from them eating their regular food.

 

[PortageGirl]

Yes, it could distract them from their regular feed, but scraps and trimmings when cooking/canning/gardening etc have been fed for centuries, just go for a sensible level. You probably won't be far off.

I think normal kitchen scraps is fine, but I'm used to haveing a LOT of chooks, well, at least 30 or so... maybe with only a couple you could go overboard easier.

Most of the time, veggies and scraps wouldn't be too bad though, one of the worst things is kids wanting to feed a whole loaf of bread and such cause chookies love it so much... and the kids have fun doing it. Chooks won't much look at their feed tray after THAT!

check this out!! https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[sandypaws]

i have lots of chickens,, so they get ALL my leftovers..

the only thing i do NOT feed them is avocado, raw onion, raw garlic

 

[keliejc]

My hens get most of our leftovers. Almost all vegetable trimmings and leftovers except potato peels from making and eating dinner, bread/cracker/pasta leftovers, leavings from my son's lunches (note: peanut butter from leftover pb&j sandwiches CAN glue a hen's beak closed, and she won't sit still for it to be wiped off. Learned that one the hard way, so now they only get the jelly side of the sandwiches), pie crusts, fruit from the 'fridge that we won't eat but isn't spoiled, even the bread from restaurant bread baskets (hey, I paid for it!), and pizza crusts. If its edible and won't harm them, they get it.

They don't get it all at once, though. I keep an aluminum pie tin from store-bought pie crusts (all those fresh eggs make great quiche!) on the counter throughout the day and toss in whatever isn't eaten or used. Every morning the tin gets taken out to the coop. I retrieve it in the evening after work and throw it in the dishwasher. It sounds like they get a ton of leftovers, but they don't really. In the summer they get all the weeds and garden trimmings they can eat. Feeding chickens leftovers that would be otherwise discarded is another type of recycling, with the added benefit of excellent eggs.

 

[eeiko321]

yeah ive noticed it too...

when you start giving them treats......
they start to dislike thier feed.....
and it takes a while for them to break the habit
like e.g if i spoil them with heaps of treats....
then i stop, they can wait up to days.....waiting for me to give them feed cause they would be so used to it.

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I would say giving them treats is fine as long as it is not too, too much. I don't give mine too many treats (could probably give them much more) as I worry about their nutrition.


No one has mentioned this and I don't know if it's really true, but I read somewhere that all bread should be soaked with water or unsalted broth or maybe even milk before giving it to the chickens. The reasoning behind this is that dry bread absorbs moisture from the chicken's digestive system and could dangerously bloat them or deprive them of the necessary moisture. As I said, I'm not really sure, but it would be something to look into. Good luck! Genie

 

[Master S.M.C]

My chickens will soon be feed my leftovers

 

[keliejc]

I've not heard anything about not feeding chickens dry bread; mine certainly get a lot of it! I look for discounted day-old rolls at the supermarket and put two at a time in suet feeder cage. The chickens peck away at it, the rolls stay clean and dry, and it helps to alleviate boredom in hens confined to their coop and run all day. They have access to plenty of water and their poops haven't shown me that the bread dehydrates them at all.

Another good leftover if you have kids that don't clean their plates/bowls: noodles from chicken noodle soup. Just rinse them to get some of that salty broth off. Plus, we never eat all the rice from take out Chinese food, but the hens love it.

 

[cherig22]

I give out the treats and leftovers in the evening, they eat their regular food in the morning. They would get too hungry to wait, even if they know they might get treats.....

Cheri

 

[sandypaws]

yeah.. all my chickens love bread,,, been feeding them bread for many,, many .... many years without any problems...