what not to feed chickens

[dadsgirl]

i have heard so many different tales, does anyone know what not to feed chickens???


angie

 

[Lobzi]

I have four chickens so Im not much of a pro at this but I will tell you that I have fed my chickens just about everything I have read on any "do not feed list" barring obvious poison and they continue to thrive. I may just be lucky but I have not had "exploding chickens" (due to gas build up because supposedly chickens cant fart) when I fed them beans, for instance.
I would say as long as you give them a choice of foods, they will eat what is appropriate for them.

I would however resist an over-load of any processed foods as they are not even healthful for humans. I stick to mainly grains, beans, peas, rice as well as formulated chicken feed. Even the layer pellets give me pause as I know that they were processed somehow.
I do provide layer pellets due to the supposed high protein content.

 

[ranchhand]

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Hi Dadsgirl,

If you go up to the blue menu bar, click on index and scroll down to "Feeding and Watering Your Flock", you will find more information than you'll ever need to know! A real treasure house of what and what not to feed.

That Index is a great resource. Try doing a search, top right of the page, as well. Very easy to find info on BYC!

Good luck, if you have any more questions, just shout out!

 

[patandchickens]

Have you looked at the Treats Chart that Buff Hooligans organized

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

towards the bottom (IIRC) there is a section on "what not to feed your chickens"

Pat

 

[curliet]

Can someone tell me what the reason is for not giving them citrus? Mine have eaten small amounts of oranges, no visible bad effects from it. I have some oranges in the house that are going soft, not moldy, but it won't be long. I would rather feed them to the chickens than throw them away, but Buff Hooligan's list says "no". However it does not give a reason.

 

[Chicken Boo]

I am interested in the citrus question, as well. I JUST heard Martha Stewart say that she gives leavings from juicing pineapple to her chickens.

 

[mario49]

BRICKS .... dont feed the bricks that didnt qork out to well haha jk!

 

[digitS']

"Tales" sounds about right . . .

Bricks, yeah, there are some obvious ones: broken glass, blasting caps, rat poison, etc. Look, do any of us have any doubts that chickens may well eat some of this stuff??

I like to use this source on plants toxic to humans. And, keep in mind that just because they are toxic doesn't mean that they are lethal. It's probably best to limit all poisons going into me or my birds, just as a personal rule of thumb

.

What the UCDavis folks say is, "If a plant is known to be hazardous to humans, it will probably be toxic for animals as well." And, I like to click the link at the bottom of the page sometimes just to look at things that are not toxic

.

http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/PoisPlant/Tox-COM.htm

Steve's digitS'
edited to add the "personal"

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

my husband is a mechanic with a shop on our property. We have one EE hen who refuses to live with the other chickens and inspite of all human efforts to keep her out, hangs out in the shop all day. She eats metal shavings, glass crumbles, oily strings, carbon paper and yes she samples anti freeze on a regular basis. She won't eat scratch or mash only dry cat food. I do not think it is cute or funny and we do try to stop her but she is a chicken with a mission. She has been up to this for about 4 years now, poops out glass and lays an egg a day (which we do not eat). I've never seen anything like it.

 

[monarc23]

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