What to feed chickens during Pesach (Passover)

[chfriedmam]

Here we are again... pesach 5783 is a mere month away!!

What can we give:

Quail - newly hatched as well as fully grown

Ducks

==>I need to feed everyone a DRY feed so I can prepare it in the hoppers and they'll survive the week I'm away.

What can I get easily, keep it simple not too many ingredients, perhaps not ideal but they'll survive...

Can I just make a mix of corn meal, soybean meal and buckwheat? Will ducks as well as quail of different ages even eat it? And will they survive?

Thanks!!

I'm feeding this again, with kitchen scraps and yogurt. Again, it's just for a week

 

[miss heny]

Definitely keeping this in mind for the future. Converting (reform, closest synagogue to me) but wish to hold Conservative level observations.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This has been enlightening.

 

[Elies]

Leavening is to make rise, use of yeast which back then was a wild yeast and unknown reason of leavening to the bakers. Feeds are not leavened. There is no rising or puffing of the grain. There is no yeast, baking powder or baking soda used in the making of poultry feed. By all counts it could be blessed and made kosher.

We should add corn to the list of grains that can't be leavened too. What is prohibited is the leavening of grain. Corn bread would be on that list if corn itself was availible at the time. Being from the America's it wasn't discovered yet but the intent of rule is clear. These two ideas would make for an interesting conversation with a rabbi or priest. Intent of observing lent opposed to exacting words. Adding water to grain will create an invitation of wild yeast causing it to leaven and corn bread were both unknown. Yeast and corn both being unknowns at the conception of rules of Passover observation.

The Talmud explicitly says that the grains that are forbidden are those that can ferment, which is limited to the five grains.
It says rice spoils rather than ferments.
I don't believe corn is any different from rice in that regard.

 

[chfriedmam]

The Talmud explicitly says that the grains that are forbidden are those that can ferment, which is limited to the five grains.
It says rice spoils rather than ferments.
I don't believe corn is any different from rice in that regard.

Ashkenazi Jews do not eat kitniyos on Pesach but may derive benefit from them in the form of animal feed or baby formula if there is no other option. Pelletized feeds are made with actual chametz grains and processed with water.

I would suggest if someone is genuinely interested in kashrus that they consult a rabbi, and not rely on people online who come to “teach” us about how our religion should really be.

 

[Rachel_33]

I am so happy to find this thread. Every year I spend so much time and money trying to figure out what to feed everyone during Pesach. How do you chickens like the alfalfa pellets? Anyone else have dairy goats too?

 

[Krugerrand]

I am so happy to find this thread. Every year I spend so much time and money trying to figure out what to feed everyone during Pesach. How do you chickens like the alfalfa pellets? Anyone else have dairy goats too?

Glad you decided to join us!

 

[chfriedmam]

I am so happy to find this thread. Every year I spend so much time and money trying to figure out what to feed everyone during Pesach. How do you chickens like the alfalfa pellets? Anyone else have dairy goats too?

“Hated it!”

I am going to crush them up extra, I think they were too hard for them. PS I’m no pro and I’m sure what I feed would be a disaster long term

 

[centrarchid]

It's that time of the year again - at least for religiously observant Jews. This topic was discussed on BYC last time in 2011, so I think a memory refresher course would be in order.
Pesach does not only affect human nutrition, some of its rules also apply to animals as well, and especially to chickens, as they basically eat grain based feed.

The basics:
One may not eat, own or derive benefit from chametz.
Chametz (simplified for practical purposes) is any food substance made of or containing wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt which has been leavened or come into contact with water any time.

While animals obviously don't have to keep religious commandments, feeding animals which one owns with chametz during Pesach would mean that the owner "derives benefit" from chametz and therefore is not permitted.

Grains of the five species mentioned above are in and of themselves theoretically not leavened, but a) it's impossible to rule out that they have come into contact with water before one bought the feed or during its production and b) chances are high that they will get wet or moist through water, dew, rain, condensation etc. in the coop or run. Most chicken food preparations also contain additives like brewer's yeast which is not permitted on Pesach because it's a by-product of barley fermentation in beer production.

Therefore commercial chicken food is generally not suitable for Pesach. (Exception: In Israel many feed stores and pet shops actually do sell certified chametz-free feeds for pets, including chickens, before Pesach. I don't know if there are any in the US who do that).

Where special chametz-free chicken feed is not available, it may be necessary to improvise. It's important to know that even Jews follow the custom to not eat kitniyot during Pesach are still permitted to derive benefit from kitniyot. That means that chickens can be fed rice, corn (maize), lentils, peas, and soybeans. (Rice, whole peas and soybeans should be boiled so that the chickens can digest them without problems).
Potatoes and sweet potatoes, cabbage, apples and generally all fruits and vegetables make a good addition.
For protein, cottage cheesse and spare eggs can be added.
Gefilte fish should be served to the chickens only without chrein, lol

Feeding chickens Matzah is probably not a good idea (think "constipation").

General practice in Israel is to switch animals to a chametz-free diet some time before Pesach, that way one can assume that they have found and eaten any chametz remains in their coop/run/stable/whatever housing when the time comes. A few days should be enough for that. If there are still any clearly visible chametz remains, the owner should remove them.

For those who find all this too difficult to cope with, there is the alternative option of selling one's animals/pets together with the traditional chametz sale for the duration of Pesach to someone who is not Jewish and who takes then care of them during this time. However, in that case they should be brought to the place of the person who is taking care of them - with chickens that might be a bit more problematic than, say, with a hamster...

As many chicken owners have other animals and pets as well - all this applies to other animals just as it does to chickens. Cat and dog food can't be automatically assumed to be okay for Pesach, they often contain flour.

Disclaimer: I'm not a rabbi, just a religious Jew. In cases of doubt, anyone should turn with specific questions to their rabbi.

Chag Pesach kasher ve'sameach to all!

Here are some links that deal with the topic pets & Pesach:

http://www.cor.ca/view-515-pet-food-on-passover-and-throughout-the-yearhtml.html

http://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/seasonal/375/feeding-your-pet-barking-up-the-right-tree/

http://zootorah.blogspot.co.il/2009/04/feeding-pets-on-pesach.html

http://www.aish.com/atr/Passover_Pet_Food.html

Millet, maize, rice and black oil sunflower seed not on the list. For me, the most practical approach is wild bird.

 

[GardenDmpls]

I mix cracked corn, peanuts, sunflower seeds, matzoh and dried worms. In addition I buy cans of chickpeas and various beans. Then lots of scraps-vegetable, fruit and meat. Haven't been able to find sorghum (milo) at the feed store. Large bags of peanuts, millet and sunflower seed are too expensive there, so I get smaller amounts at the local supermarket. Mix it all in a large trash can. Has worked well for years with my 30-40 chicken flock. Usually have a neighbor or two that I share with as they only keep a few chickens, but there are plenty of us here in Far Rockaway.