what do you feed your flock? the good and the bad

[Bullitt]

I would love to get into growing nuts for them and us, but, I don't know when that will begin. We already have a hazelnut tree here but it never produces enough for us and not the wild birds who come through stealing what little is there. Beyond that I'm waiting waiting for some almonds and chestnuts to mature. The almonds don't love it in our climate though but here's hoping they will at least tolerate it enough to bear.

Do you have to chop up or break up nuts for the chickens to eat them? Or can they eat whole nuts?

 

[galanie]

We grow pecans and they love them but can't break the shell. All I have to do though is break one and they can pick the meat out pretty fast. They won't eat whole almonds though, they're too hard for them to break up into smaller pieces so they don't bother. Pecans and walnuts, being irregularly shaped when whole, they will. I'd be inclined to say just put them in a pillowcase and run over them with the car and you're good to go though.

 

[Bullitt]

I'd be inclined to say just put them in a pillowcase and run over them with the car and you're good to go though.

Well, that should smash up the nuts.

I figured whole almonds were probably too hard for chickens.

 

[galanie]

 I'd be inclined to say just put them in a pillowcase and run over them with the car and you're good to go though.

Well, that should smash up the nuts.

I figured whole almonds were probably too hard for chickens.

That's the point. They aren't super particular as long as the shells are cracked. Or yes a hammer or something else, it's just that the pillowcase and car would do more at a time and easier. I use a pillowcase and a brick since I'm only doing a few pounds at a time.

 

[blessedchick]

We grow pecans and they love them but can't break the shell. All I have to do though is break one and they can pick the meat out pretty fast. They won't eat whole almonds though, they're too hard for them to break up into smaller pieces so they don't bother. Pecans and walnuts, being irregularly shaped when whole, they will. I'd be inclined to say just put them in a pillowcase and run over them with the car and you're good to go though.

Hilarious! What we won't do for our chickens!

I'm lovin' this thread. The oldest of my chickies is only 6 weeks, so I'm "gobbling up" all this nutrition information with gusto (notebook in hand). This is such a help to me in deciding what to feed them as adults. I have parrots whom I cook for on a regular basis and the chickies have been added to the list of patrons - and they love it! The parrots/guineas/chickens get tons of human food leftovers for treats (I'm vegetarian so they eat just about all that I do) plus "chop" - a mix of oatmeal, cinnamon, almond milk, pinto/black beans, wild rice, corn, peas, carrots, broccoli, dried fruit, Australian blend mix (variety of ground seeds, spirulina and other goodies made for parrots) and anything else that needs to go from the fridge! I mix up a huge vat of this in the fall, freeze it in 1 gal bags and thaw one out each weekend for my feathered friends. I feed it warm and it causes quite a stir around this place! Keeping sprouts going on a continuous basis is another easy treat...and I agree that a mealworm farm is the next thing to check out! Have fun!!

 

[Den in Penn]

Pillow case? Try using a feed/ grain bag instead.
To the original poster. Layer feed with what is in season in the garden and not going in my freezer. And the neighborhood fall decorations, just finished the last pumpkin.

 

[gambit2178]

I mix a 50LBS bag of Crumble and a 25LBS of Scratch. I use this mix for their main feed.

Then I break one treat a day and rotate it every week
List of treats
Bananas
Cucumber
Sunflower Seeds
Hardboiled Egg
Mix of season berries
Broccoli and Coauliflower mix
Cerely, Apple and Lettuce

Once a month...Yogurt
Three times a month...worms

 

[nick123548]

I feed a 50/50 mix of layer pellets and scratch as their main feed. I let them have the run of the horse field one day a week (Lord only knows what they come up with out there). I give them a cup of chicken treats once a day that I get from Tractor Supply. I mix in egg shells and whole grains with the treats. I also plant wheat outside of where they can roam so that I can give them wheat grass in the winter. They get garden scraps throughout the rest of the year.

 

[hdowden]

what about yogurt and cheese and similar products like that? seems like chickens can eat whatever as long as its not poisonous lol.

have any of you noticed a taste difference in the eggs from all the variety you feed your chickens?

 

[Reyvaughn]

I didn't add the other stuff. This time of the year we don't have many scraps. I do take out cooked noodles and veges if there are any. In the summer I usually have lots of berries that I picked. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and elderberries are the main ones I have through the summer months. I also give them fresh cabbage, collards and lettuce, even though they don't eat it. They will eat cabbage and collards if it's cooked. Tomatoes are a favorite - but I only feed them sparingly. Every once in a while I'll feed grapes and yogurt. I scramble eggs up for them sometimes, as well.

I give them whatever extra I can, but like I said, this time of the year, it's sparse.