What did you give you chickens for breakfast today?

[cluckmecoop7]

Hi all,

I was wondering what you gave your chickens for breakfast today of some other day. Yesterday I gave them there own chicken food, chopped up celery leaves, and breadcrumbs. Is that the kind of thing I should be giving them? I want to make sure they eat healthy and don't get fat. If you can, please give me some easy chicken recipes!

Thank you!

Cluckmecoop7

 

[SueT]

Their chicken feed is nutritionally complete. Other foods may dilute the nutrition needed and may cause them to hold out for treats. I usually wait till late in the afternoon to offer any extras, to make sure they have eaten most of their feed first. Then I give scratch grains and when we have lots of extra eggs, they get scrambled eggs.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Their chicken feed is nutritionally complete. Other foods may dilute the nutrition needed and may cause them to hold out for treats. I usually wait till late in the afternoon to offer any extras, to make sure they have eaten most of their feed first. Then I give scratch grains and when we have lots of extra eggs, they get scrambled eggs.

Ok, but celery leaves are not really treats for my chickens. They are part of the meal.

 

[CaramelKittey]

I give my chickens any food scraps (unless they are moldy or really rotten, or poisonous) along with their regular layer pellets.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Apple pie crust that I thought didn't look palatable to myself (yes, I know I shouldn't have done that).

 

[paneubert]

Ok, but celery leaves are not really treats for my chickens. They are part of the meal.

What you seem to be missing by the way you worded your reply is that for every bite of celery they eat, that is one less bite of the nutritionally balanced feed being consumed. Not that what you are giving them is bad. Celery is almost all water and has very little other nutritional value. Not like you are going to get overweight chickens by giving them celery. But if you had said something like "but the canned sweet corn is not a treat, it is part of their meal", then there would be a problem. See what I mean? Just wanted to explain the logic behind the statement "chicken feed is nutritionally complete. Other foods may dilute the nutrition needed".

Back to what you asked about though.

I usually alternate one day on, one day off for my "breakfast" that I feed my chickens. For the "on" day, I put about 2 cups of their normal pellets/crumble into a rubber feed pan with about 3 cups of water. Then I add in a couple cubes of alfalfa. Soak. Mix. Feed. They see it as a treat even though it is normal chicken feed with alfalfa (which is high protein) added.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I give my chickens any food scraps (unless they are moldy or really rotten, or poisonous) along with their regular layer pellets.

Thats a good idea.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Apple pie crust that I thought didn't look palatable to myself (yes, I know I shouldn't have done that).

Hmmm, I'm not sure about this one but it does not seem healthy. Besides, I don't eat to much apple pie.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

What you seem to be missing by the way you worded your reply is that for every bite of celery they eat, that is one less bite of the nutritionally balanced feed being consumed. Not that what you are giving them is bad. Celery is almost all water and has very little other nutritional value. Not like you are going to get overweight chickens by giving them celery. But if you had said something like "but the canned sweet corn is not a treat, it is part of their meal", then there would be a problem. See what I mean? Just wanted to explain the logic behind the statement "chicken feed is nutritionally complete. Other foods may dilute the nutrition needed".

Yes, I see what you mean. Thank you!