What is your chickens’ favorite scrap treat?

[Iluveggers]

I know many of us give our chickens food scraps as a treat or part of their regular feed. (Not meal worms or scratch, actual scraps from the human kitchen!) It’s been interesting to me to see what my girls go right for as soon as they see it, and what gets left til later!

My girls LOVE:
Grapes
Winter Squash
Watermelon
Cucumber
Bell pepper cores
Cooked rice
Yogurt

They pick at all greens and cherry tomatoes next. There hasn’t been any produce they haven’t eaten but they all go for the “good stuff” first! They do not love raw turnips. I will try cooking them next time lol.

 

[GregnLety]

Watermelon and tomatoes from the kitchen. Figs, pears and apples from our trees...

 

[cherrynberry]

I know many of us give our chickens food scraps as a treat or part of their regular feed. (Not meal worms or scratch, actual scraps from the human kitchen!) It’s been interesting to me to see what my girls go right for as soon as they see it, and what gets left til later!

My girls LOVE:
Grapes
Winter Squash
Watermelon
Cucumber
Bell pepper cores
Cooked rice
Yogurt

They pick at all greens and cherry tomatoes next. There hasn’t been any produce they haven’t eaten but they all go for the “good stuff” first! They do not love raw turnips. I will try cooking them next time lol.

They LOVE watermelons. They only get it during summer, though.

 

[cavemanrich]

From your list,, I only have available grapes,, (that are spent), and Watermelon remains, after a party. I actually do have a meat grinder that I set up in my run during summer. Into it I grind all the watermelon rinds. The small tidbits get munched up immediately. Larger un-ground/un-chopped watermelon rinds sometimes get left behind too long,, And result in being thrown away when rotting starts.
Cucumbers,,, yes they get the skins. We munch the interior portions for dinner

 

[Iluveggers]

From your list,, I only have available grapes,, (that are spent), and Watermelon remains, after a party. I actually do have a meat grinder that I set up in my run during summer. Into it I grind all the watermelon rinds. The small tidbits get munched up immediately. Larger un-ground/un-chopped watermelon rinds sometimes get left behind too long,, And result in being thrown away when rotting starts.
Cucumbers,,, yes they get the skins. We munch the interior portions for dinner

Doesn’t have to be from my list! I was trying to get ideas of other things chickens love, so please add any other food they love! Once my garden is up & running again they’ll have much more variety.

 

[GregnLety]

I know it's not scraps but one of my silkies loves the finch bird seed from tractor supply. I mix it in with 5 grain scratch and watch her pick out those little seeds.

 

[cavemanrich]

We give all leftovers to chickens that we no longer want to eat. I do give them small amounts of bread regularly, and when we cook meat, we trim off the fat, and skin. That in turn gets cooked, and fed to my cats and chickens. You should try to give them a well carved turkey carcass. That gets picked clean to the bare bones.

I do not give anything sweet like cake. That gets thrown into trash. I also do not give anything with much salt. The meat leftovers, (table scraps) are not too salty BTW. Have been doing it this way for over 20+ years with no casualties, (food related)

 

[cavemanrich]

I know it's not scraps but one of my silkies loves the finch bird seed from tractor supply. I mix it in with 5 grain scratch and watch her pick out those little seeds.

Besides scratch,, I also give my hens Wild bird seeds,, as well as BOSS

 

[GregnLety]

W

Besides scratch,, I also give my hens Wild bird seeds,, as well as BOSS

What is BOSS?

 

[Isadora]

W

What is BOSS?

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds