What do you not feed your chickens?

[cleoppa]

So I've heard how chickens are the ultimate green garbage disposals. And I've had great fun feeding my chickies all kinds of left overs destined for the trash--pizza crusts, ends of tomatoes, apple peels, etc.

However, is there anything you don't feed your chickens? I know I've heard you shouldn't feed them garlic or onions unless you want flavored eggs.

But what about, say, moldy bread? I have a loaf that's not fit for human consumption, but is it fit for chicken consumption? Or just other random stuff?

I bought some kimchi (Korean cabbage) and then realized it had MSG in it. This is not something I eat so I offered it to the chickens. Usually I'm just sharing stuff I would eat, not offering my discards I refuse to eat. They didn't much care for the kimchi, but do you limit it by stuff like MSG?

Just curious what all goes to the chickens in your households.

Thanks!

 

[rarebear]

There is a great list on this site, not sure exactly where. Maybe do a search for "what can i feed chickens". I can say with certainty to NEVER feed moldy or rotting food to any animal. They can get sick just like we can. You chickens should only be fed items that you would eat. Stale bread is one thing but mold...NO.

 

[donrae]

I've personally fed my birds tons of moldy bread. They turn it into nice healthy eggs! Nasty back of the fridge leftovers--to the chickens. All my food scraps--even *gasp* potato peels go in the run. Oh, avocado pits and peels, also. Not the avocado meat, though, that's for me lol. Citrus peels, onion peels, banana peels, it all goes into the run.

Now, do they eat it all? No. The bread, yes, mold and all. Like it's crack or something. The potato/avocado/citrus/banana peels, not so much. But, the bird do scratch around those things and help them break down faster, IMO. My run is kinda like a compost pile. And no, it doesn't smell bad.

My thinking is this. I see crows eating NASTY dead things off the side of the road all the time. NASTY things. And the crows don't die. In fact, they look pretty healthy and glossy. Some animals just have a digestive system that allows them to eat nasty things, that's why they are called scavangers. Their digestive system can tolerate it and it doesn't make them sick. I think if it were going to make them sick, it would taste bad to them and they wouldn't eat it. Part of that thousands-of-years-of-survival thing--don't eat things that are toxic to you.

Now, I don't know if there is a difference in the mold that grows on bread and the mold that can grow in wet chicken feed. I won't feed the latter. Not sure if that makes sense or not, or if if just comes from a strong horse background where moldy feed = large vet bills.


Yes, my birds get moldy bread and even chicken bones. And you've never seen me posting here about a sick bird. I've never wormed my birds or treated them with any meds.

 

[Vicky2479]

Hmmm I have been told not to feed them avocado, onion and even lettuce but have also had people say they give them all that and more, the only thing I tend not to give them in chicken meat in any form, I think that is just my brain saying that is too weired though but I do give them other meat and even sardines

 

[SouthernChicka8]

I dont feed them meat. I wouldnt want them to turn carnivores while i have my hand in their coop scooping up eggs LOL

 

[galanie]

I let them have anything but avocado and chocolate. Who, in their right mind, ever has extra chocolate or avocado anyway?

I'm eating all of that! NO! You chickens can't have it!

But seriously the avocado seed covering and the inside of the skin is dangerous for them, but they won't touch that anyway. And chocolate is a huge no no for birds or dogs either one. But like I said, I ain't wasting any chocolate or avocado on chickens!

ALL YER CHOCOLATES ARE BELONG TO ME!!

 

[donrae]

I let them have anything but avocado and chocolate. Who, in their right mind, ever has extra chocolate or avocado anyway?
I'm eating all of that! NO! You chickens can't have it!
But seriously the avocado seed covering and the inside of the skin is dangerous for them, but they won't touch that anyway. And chocolate is a huge no no for birds or dogs either one. But like I said, I ain't wasting any chocolate or avocado on chickens!
ALL YER CHOCOLATES ARE BELONG TO ME!!

My thought exactly. Who in their right mind ever fed their chickens chocolate? And why? They thought they had too much? Sorry, no such thing............that's all mine! Same for avocado--maybe if I lived tropical but those puppies are spendy here and all for me. Okay, maybe some for the honey and kids, but mostly ME!

 

[Pele]

My approach to feeding my chickens is to give them food that wouldn't necessarily kill/harm me, but food that I wouldn't enjoy eating anymore. Everything they eat, I end up eating in a roundabout way, so I'm careful. Bread can have a little mold on it, but if what I'm holding is majority mold, no that just goes in the trash.

Maybe they can survive eating something nasty, but if it ends up in their eggs, would I survive/enjoy second-hand eating it? Also, I avoid feeding them anything high in Omega acids, like nuts, soy, and fish. THAT gets into the eggs something aweful, and make them smell like fish. Ugh.

Also, who has left-over chocoloate? What kind of crazy-talk is that?

 

[chickenteacher2]

I've personally fed my birds tons of moldy bread. They turn it into nice healthy eggs! Nasty back of the fridge leftovers--to the chickens. All my food scraps--even *gasp* potato peels go in the run. Oh, avocado pits and peels, also. Not the avocado meat, though, that's for me lol. Citrus peels, onion peels, banana peels, it all goes into the run.

Now, do they eat it all? No. The bread, yes, mold and all. Like it's crack or something. The potato/avocado/citrus/banana peels, not so much. But, the bird do scratch around those things and help them break down faster, IMO. My run is kinda like a compost pile. And no, it doesn't smell bad.

My thinking is this. I see crows eating NASTY dead things off the side of the road all the time. NASTY things. And the crows don't die. In fact, they look pretty healthy and glossy. Some animals just have a digestive system that allows them to eat nasty things, that's why they are called scavangers. Their digestive system can tolerate it and it doesn't make them sick. I think if it were going to make them sick, it would taste bad to them and they wouldn't eat it. Part of that thousands-of-years-of-survival thing--don't eat things that are toxic to you.

Now, I don't know if there is a difference in the mold that grows on bread and the mold that can grow in wet chicken feed. I won't feed the latter. Not sure if that makes sense or not, or if if just comes from a strong horse background where moldy feed = large vet bills.


Yes, my birds get moldy bread and even chicken bones. And you've never seen me posting here about a sick bird. I've never wormed my birds or treated them with any meds.

I agree, my yard is a sort of compost pile too. the girls LOVE me and my bags or "chicken"/doggie bags that come home. I scoop everyone's restaurant leftovers for my chickens. I usually take the mold off the bread and give them what looks semi-ok. They LOVE it. And yes, they LOVE chicken. Meat and salad stuff seems to be the favorite.

 

[Earthologie]

I don't know if this is controversial or not, but I have read that feeding bread can cause sour crop if fed in large amounts because yeast can start to ferment and then become stuck. The person who wrote this had their chicken die from this They also wrote that giving bread/pasta is small amounts in okay though.

Has anyone else heard of this?