Can you use table scraps to bring down your feed bill? Of course! Most foods make safe table scraps for chickens. We have very little food waste in our home because nearly everything goes to the birds. Plus the ladies love a good snack.
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Chicken Math is For Real
A few years ago, I told my husband that I wanted enough chickens to provide eggs for our family. Realistically that would be 3 or 4 hens. So of course we hatched 2 rounds of eggs in the spring and another this fall. Bringing our total up to 12 birds and mostly roosters. We got rid of the roosters in the fall. Come June I ordered a dozen hens. They gave us a few extra birds. We now have 19 birds. So when you see the jokes about chicken math, it’s a real thing
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Safe Table Scraps for Chickens
Nearly everything from an ingredients kitchen is going to make safe table scraps for chickens. They are omnivores, which means that they eat meat and plants.
Cooked meat is a great source of protein for your flock. Ours get the trimmings, leftovers nearing their expiration date, or anything that got too tuff.
Produce is a favorite among our chickens. For things with a thicker skin you may need to cut them first. I do this for squash, melons, and cucumbers. Whenever I have a tomato that splits, cucumbers that turn yellow, or carrots that are too small, the birds get them straight out of the garden.
Grains are also safe for your chickens. Processed grains like breads, pastas, and baked goods should be given in moderation. Rice, corn, and oatmeal are all good chicken treats.
Egg shells are a great source of calcium too. I do recommend crunching them up a little so that they don’t still look like an egg. This will help prevent them from eating their own eggs. If you get a cracked egg or have leftover scrambled eggs, feed it back to the chickens.
Unsafe Table Scraps for Chickens
Chickens can’t have chocolate, avocado peels or pits, raw potato skins, alcohol, or leaves from nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers). These are all considered poisonous to chickens. We also avoid grapes because we don’t want the dog to get a hold of any left behind when we move the tractor. Just something to keep in mind.
Just like people, chickens can’t have moldy foods, raw meat, or anything that has spoiled. The bacteria and mold can make them sick.
While salty, caffeinated, and processed foods won’t kill your flock, they shouldn’t be given in excess. I toss in a few fries that the baby didn’t eat or the last couple bites of a pizza crust, but since we don’t eat those foods on a regular basis neither do our birds.
When deciding what counts as safe table scraps for chickens, use common sense. If it isn’t good for you, then it’s probably not good for them.
Giving Chickens Safe Table Scraps
Feeding your chickens where they poop can cause parasites such as coccidia. So avoid throwing food down in a coop or run.
A large suet feeder is an excellent way to offer safe table scraps to chickens. Hang it inside of the run and the birds can peck at it. This is also a great boredom buster. This also works well in a mobile chicken tractor. We used this method to give our chicks table scraps in the brooder without making a mess.
If you are free ranging or using a mobile chicken tractor then, you can scatter the table scraps on the ground. The only caveat to this method is if you put out anything with seeds, you may end up with some volunteer plants.
The easiest method I have found is to collect all of the scraps in a metal dog bowl and take the bowl right out to the birds. They scatter the scraps themselves, but it is minimal effort on my end. They get a bowl of scraps in the morning and before moving the chicken tractor at night, I pick up the bowl and rinse it out.
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The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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