What do YOU feed our chickens,

[StrayMagnet]

I know ppl talk about what to feed chickens, and that they are "good scraps eaters"
but My being new to chickens, I have no clue what scraps are acceptable and what's not.

so for those of us on the BYC that are new, or even those Vets who Never realized "a chicken can eat that"?

This is also a great thread to see what other things ppl feed their chickens. to help give others idea's on what they can give their own flock.
as well as inform those of us who are new, old and just plain chicken obsessed!!!

For now I feed my chickens

the chicken start feed (for the chicks) but momma nibbles it too
and a variety of oats and grains I found at several diff stores in bulk sections.
Corn on the cob
I've also been tossing in the crumbs at the bottom of the Corn flake cereal.
and of course they eat whatever bugs they can muster up.


soooo what do you all feed YOUR Chickens?

 

[southerndesert]

Just layer pellets and afternoon treats like, melon, scratch with BOSS, greens, alfalfa, and cat food. Treats are given in moderation with a good 90% of their diet being layer pellets and what they come up with on their own while free ranging.

 

[HEChicken]

There is a sticky at the top of the Feeding and Watering your Flock section that details what is okay to give them.

 

[BarefootMom]

well I am for feeding scraps. Our chickens garbage disposals. I keep an ice cream bucket with lid on the cabinet next to the sink- into it goes all of our scraps throughout the day. EVERYTHING. In the morning they get the contents of the bucket.

So an example bucket might include:
egg shells
any left over eggs, bacon, biscuits
possibly left over cereal
bread "bones" (my kids don't like the crusts on the bread
leftover brocolli and cheese
pasta
tomato stems and cores
hamburger meat
green beans

etc.

they do literally get all leftovers.

Occasionally I will clean out my fridge and they will get that stuff too.

They love to pick the rinds from watermelons, canteloupe, butternut squash

You will find that just like people though, chickens all have different tastes. My chickens won't touch grapes or strawberries, but others say that they are their favorites. My chickens do love tomatoes and peaches though.

They also get the feed store brand egg pellets in a self feeder and occasionally I will give them scratch. They get wheat part of the time too. My chickens free range so they also get bugs, grass, and anything else they find. In the winter they like to go out into the field and scratch around the haypiles they can find all sorts of food there- since in the winter the cows get fed grain everyday...I don't want to think about it but yes the chickens scratch in the manure.

My chicks get Purina Start n Grow for the first 6 weeks and then they get Scratch/Start N Grow mix until 16 weeks- that is when I start the layer.

oh and yes I am one of those people that when we eat out- if there is anything left I will get a box to take it home to the chickens...

 

[foursons13]

Everything that is left over from the kitchen, except chicken of course! And Pullet Grower feed.

I am so happy to not have to throw any food away anymore. My chickens already come running over the the fence everytime my front door opens!

 

[debid]

I use a scrap bucket and follow the chickens as waste disposal philosophy. I have a garden so they also get the cucumbers/summer squash that hid too well and got huge, the tomatoes that were partially eaten by something, lettuce that went bitter, etc. I toss them any bugs that I find in there. Oh, and if the bucket isn't especially full, I'll top it off with the dandelion greens, clover, etc. that grow outside of their ranging area. The compost pile isn't seeing as much kitchen waste these days and the chickens patrol it daily for bugs but it seems to be surviving in spite of all of that.

 

[racuda]

Quote:
Why not? My chickens love chicken.

 

[dbounds10]

They need to have the commercial feed more than anything I think and treats should only be 10% of diet (thats what I learned here). But I started out using the Treat Chart.

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

They are like pigs with feathers!

 

[lorain's fids]

My chicks are still on starter feed, but from reading many different posts about what people they feed their chickens, I am guessing that chickens are not fussy eaters.

 

[lorain's fids]

Quote:
LOL!!!