WHAT KIND OF "PEOPLE" FOOD CAN CHICKENS EAT?

[xoeab]

My neighbors have chickens and they feed them watermelon rinds and raw eggs. What other foods can they eat? Is there a link to a list of foods they can eat?

 

[gritsar]

Here's a link to the treats chart:

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

One warning: If your chickens get the taste of raw eggs, they may decide to help themselves by cracking open a few of their own. Always cook eggs before giving them to your chickens; either hard boiled or scrambled.

 

[Harley's girl]

Mine get all of the table scraps. But, I will not give them fish of any kind, onions, or garlic.

I will give them cooked eggs but never raw! If I happen to drop an egg while collecting I try to scrap all of it up before the girls get into it.

 

[ChicksCoopHome]

I give my "gurlz" table scraps but cold spaghetti chopped like worms, chopped aples and mashed potatoes are their favorites.

 

[NYREDS]

They can eat anything you can eat

 

[Michael Apple]

Here's a link to the treats chart:

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

One warning: If your chickens get the taste of raw eggs, they may decide to help themselves by cracking open a few of their own. Always cook eggs before giving them to your chickens; either hard boiled or scrambled.

There's a protein in raw eggs called Avidin. Avidin inactivates biotin which is a vitamin. So another reason not to feed, or allow chickens to eat raw eggs is because it can cause a vitamin deficiency. With all the other good sources of animal protein available, I don't see how feeding eggs back to chickens would be necessary except only to serve someone's convenience.

 

[Michael Apple]

They can eat anything you can eat

That's certainly not true. There are a number of foods, humans eat daily, that are toxic to chickens.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

That's certainly not true. There are a number of foods, humans eat daily, that are toxic to chickens.

Got a list?

 

[Michael Apple]

Avocados, onions, chocolate, onions, citrus fruits, white potatoes (contains solanine which lowers red blood cell levels. Even boiling them reduces very little of this chemical), and apple seeds. I see references of bread, pasta, and rice mentioned as being commonly given to birds. Where that may not be toxic to birds, it certainly is of little nutritional value, and too much can certainly block the crop because it isn't easily digested. Where chickens may be omnivores, they are not garbage disposals for what one chooses to throw out. Unless someone prefers to nurse or cull sick birds.

I see this same behavior with people who have overweight dogs. They buy numerous treats and feed them to the dog in addition to giving too much food. They think it is fun, cute, or making up for some guilt, until they see their vet bills.

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

I'm forever amazed at how much I'm doing wrong yet despite my ignorant mistakes the chickens seem to thrive.

I feed my chickens very little feed / scratch - but the little they get is all organic non-GMO. They spend their entire day free ranging in pasture, vineyard, and orchard - and mostly working the compost bins. And in those bins goes any kind of vegetable material imaginable, with little or no thought to whats on the "don't" list.

I see all kinds of things on that list that apparently are no good for the birds - avocado skins, potatoes, onions, citrus peel, apples (with seeds), ... Hell, you name it, it's in there. No meats, eggs, or processed foods ... but any and all vegetable scrap from the garden or the kitchen goes in the compost and thereby into the chickens diet.

Curiously enough, they stay healthy and happy. Lucky for me, they can't read those lists.