What your chickens can and can't eat!

[gypsylady32]

I’ve seen my hens catch and eat frogs! It was highly disturbing!

 

[Debbie292d]

and what is wrong with kale? I give it to my chickens straight out of my garden.

Kale is EXCELLENT for chickens! We grow tons of it for them and freeze it in the fall so they get some in the winter.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

No, it is not bad. Both amaranth seeds and amaranth greens are edible for chickens. Some studies have shown each has done as well as some more conventional ingredients in a feed mix.

that's what I thought but I was confused because its on this list of do not feed!

 

[saysfaa]

that's what I thought but I was confused because its on this list of do not feed!

This is a good place to start. I recommend reading the studies it refers to in the poultry section. I read some of them but not all (I've also not fed amaranth other than what they might glean for themselves when let out).

Short version is amaranth has antinutrients that are disabled by heat. And it matters a little sometimes.

Some studies found high levels of raw amaranth (like 30% or 50%) resulted in measurably lighter chicks compared to chicks fed heat treated amaranth.

Other studies found moderate amounts of raw amaranth (2%, 5%, 10%) resulted in measurably heavier chicks compared to chicks fed conventional corn/soy feeds.

Either way, it is a matter of better vs not quite so good ingredients rather than, like, poisoning them.

Some studies referenced some of the things that affect how much a given antinutrient matters (drying in sunshine decreases the effect of some of them, for example, or adding food with higher than usual amounts of the nutrients that the antinutrients affect). Several mentioned differences in effect in fast growing chicks vs slower growing birds.

I didn't it notice in skimming these studies but other plants with antinutrients vary tremendously in how much they have according to species or variety, growth stage, which part of the plant, where the plant is grown, the weather that year or, maybe, the weather that day.

Grazing chickens with other choices will pick out the parts that don't have too much. If I misunderstood and you were planning to harvest it and mix it in with the rest of their feed in large quantities then I will backpedal.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

A lot of people go overboard in their warnings. Of course don’t feed your chickens mainly oatmeal. But a little is totally fine. The chicken chick is a bit over the top about feed. She recommends nothing but formulated chicken feed and thinks chickens will keel over dead if you introduce some treats or feed changes. Makes me think she is either neurotic or paid by big poultry feed…

I went down the rabbit hole of her site when I first started raising my chickens. I was convinced I needed to feed commercial feed and nothing else. ive finally loosened up and remembered people have been throwing table scraps and scratch to chickens for as long as time can remember.

So now they get a high quality feed...and all our leftovers. during growing season they get garden scraps. I also toss scratch occasionally, especially on coop cleaning days.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I make my bread in little pieces so they don't choke

I have 3 young kids who never finish their meals. There's always unfinished bread on the plate after breakfast and/or lunch. I also break it up into small pieces. But I also break most of the table scarps into small pieces to avoid fighting.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I’ve seen my hens catch and eat frogs! It was highly disturbing!

we just put in a new coop and when we pulled out the old one there was a lizard hiding underneath. One of my hens grabbed it and I watched 5 of them fight and tear it into little edible pieces. They are vicious little creatures haha.

 

[BDutch]

Missing grass clippings , many herbs and weeds and other things from the garden in the list. Also grapes, plums and some other fruits are missing.

 

[PMD PerformanceHorses]

that's what I thought but I was confused because its on this list of do not feed!

I read that it needed to be fed in small amounts . I will edit it

 

[PMD PerformanceHorses]

Missing grass clippings , many herbs and weeds and other things from the garden in the list. Also grapes, plums and some other fruits are missing.

I'll add those