Waste Not, Want Not

[Winter Creek Coop]

Hello you cluckin crazies! An old friend of mine from the Oklahoma Panhandle taught me the great benefit of feeding chickens spare meat, especially in winter. They lay soooo much better when getting some meat at least twice a week. My son keeps cage traps around the hen house. Instead of dispatching the coon and wasting it, he skinned it to use the hide for a satchel. I cooked up a bunch of fatty protein filled meat from it for the chickens. The meat in winter replaces a lot of the fat and protein from bugs they get in the warmer months. Give it a try if you are interested. You’ll likely be rewarded with more eggs.

 

[KingD]

Hello you cluckin crazies! An old friend of mine from the Oklahoma Panhandle taught me the great benefit of feeding chickens spare meat, especially in winter. They lay soooo much better when getting some meat at least twice a week. My son keeps cage traps around the hen house. Instead of dispatching the coon and wasting it, he skinned it to use the hide for a satchel. I cooked up a bunch of fatty protein filled meat from it for the chickens. The meat in winter replaces a lot of the fat and protein from bugs they get in the warmer months. Give it a try if you are interested. You’ll likely be rewarded with more eggs.


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Carnivore hens.
My dad always gets cross with me when I feed the hens meat so I'll have to show him this.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

All hens are when given the chance. They will pick a deer carcus clean in a day or two. I’ve also seen them catch and eat mice and small snakes.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I think a lot of people are starting to switch to higher protein feeds. I noticed Southern States was selling an 18% layer feed. I went back a week later and the whole shelf had been cleared! All flock 18-20% protein has been harder to find too. There's still plenty of 16% layer feed though. I never dump my leftovers in the trash. I always given them to my girls! They love salmon skin

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

I think a lot of people are starting to switch to higher protein feeds. I noticed Southern States was selling an 18% layer feed. I went back a week later and the whole shelf had been cleared! All flock 18-20% protein has been harder to find too. There's still plenty of 16% layer feed though. I never dump my leftovers in the trash. I always given them to my girls! They love salmon skin

I wish I had salmon skin to give them. I cleaned about a hundred pounds of catfish one day and the chickens went nuts pecking at the caucuses.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I wish I had salmon skin to give them. I cleaned about a hundred pounds of catfish one day and the chickens went nuts pecking at the caucuses.

I bet they did! I imagine it makes for some good omega-rich eggs too!

 

[PioneerChicks]

I think a lot of people are starting to switch to higher protein feeds. I noticed Southern States was selling an 18% layer feed. I went back a week later and the whole shelf had been cleared! All flock 18-20% protein has been harder to find too. There's still plenty of 16% layer feed though. I never dump my leftovers in the trash. I always given them to my girls! They love salmon skin

I feed 20% protein and almost all the chickens still seem to crave the extra protein in dry cat food. If course, the weather is cold right now, but only a couple are molting.
ETA: I think all of them would enjoy closer to 22%

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

My father in law is an avid deer hunter, but his wife won’t eat it. So he makes a couple pots of chili and a few back strap steaks and then I end up with the rest for the chickens once it gets freezer burnt.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

Oh, also of note, all of the chickens except for the little white leghorn pictured, went straight for the fat. She skipped the fat and worked at chunks of the lean meat. She is a daily layer, even all winter. She wanted that protein and cholesterol in that red meat.

 

[gtaus]

Chickens are omnivores and I believe they are healthier when they have a variety of food. I always give my backyard flock kitchen scraps and leftovers. If I had a pickup, I'd probably stop along the road and pick up dead dear that get hit by a car. That would make some good meat for the chickens. Don't think I would cook it up, but maybe cut it up raw into pieces and freeze it in smaller bags until fed to the chickens.