Frugal Feeding of Chickens (scrap it, dive it, plant it...but non the less they LOVE it)
So we have 6 chickens and on a mission to supplement their feed store manufactured food we have found the following and our chickens seem to be loving it.
Chickens like to eat table scraps, and most of the leftovers from your meals are safe for them to eat. Table scraps alone don’t form a balanced diet for your chickens, so you should use them as a supplemental treat, not the main course, and you should feed them in moderation.
Most table scraps are lower in protein than commercial grower rations. Since baby chicks need plenty of protein to grow and develop properly, we recommend that you wait until chickens are about 3-4 months old before introducing table scraps.
Foods that are Safe to Feed Your Chickens
Bread – Bread, in moderation, can be fed to your chickens, but avoid moldy bread.
Cooked meats – Meats should be cut into small pieces.
Corn – Raw, cooked, or dried corn can be fed to your chickens.
Fruits – Aside from a few exceptions, most fruits are fine to feed your chickens. Suggestions are apples, berries, and melons (watermelon rinds are one of the favorites with our chickens).
Grains – Rice, wheat, and other grains are fine for your chickens.
Oatmeal
Peas
Vegetables – Most cooked or raw vegetables are find to feed your chickens. Suggestions include broccoli, carrots (cooked or shredded), cabbage, chard, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, pumpkins, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.
Avoid Feeding These to Your Chickens
Salt – A little salt isn’t going to hurt them, but avoid feeding them too much salt.
Processed foods – It’s healthier for your chickens to eat leftovers from a home cooked meal than left over pizza or scraps from a TV dinner.
Raw potato peels – Potatoes are members of the Nightshade family (Solanaceae), and their peels, especially when they turn green from exposure to the sunlight, contain the alkaloid solanine, which is toxic. Sweet potatoes and sweet potato skins belong to a different plant family. They do not contain solanine and are safe to feed to your chickens.
Garlic, onions, and other strong tasting foods – These aren’t necessarily harmful to your chickens, but they may import an undesirable taste to the eggs that your hens lay.
Avocado skins and pits – These contain persin, a fungicidal toxin that can be fatal to chickens. For more information, see Persin (on Wikipedia).
Spoiled or rotten foods – Foods can produce toxins when they spoil.
Soft drinks
Coffee or coffee grinds
Chocolate – Chocolate contains theobromine, which may be toxic to birds.
Very greasy foods – These can be difficult for your chickens to digest.
Raw meat – Feeding chickens raw meat can lead to cannibalism.
Offer your child a few nutritious food choices at the dinner table. What is not eaten in 20 minutes can be wrapped up and offered as a later snack. Give your child the power to choose, but from among healthy choices, berries or orange wedges, for example.
Do not allow him or her fill up on juice or milk before a meal, (a common trick to take the edge off hunger) or to drink so much that the daily calories are met with liquid.
Keep meals pleasant and stress-free, even if it means you leave the room because you are frustrated. If needed, let someone else supervise the meal.
Most importantly, do not give in and offer him or her junk food, no matter how long he or she seems to go without eating or begs.
Look for interesting ways to combine preferred food with new food. If you are preparing a Chinese dinner and your child likes spaghetti, he or she may be more accepting of it if you serve the new dish with lo mien noodles instead of rice.
Try to limit beverages such as milk, soda, juice, and punch just prior to meals. However, offer as much water as he or she wants to drink but only if thirsty. You can always let your child have the preferred beverage after something is eaten, at which time there is no risk of his or her tummy filling up on liquids.
Here are a few extra tips that may help to encourage your child to eat more fruits and vegetables:
- Have a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table for a quick, easy snack
- Always have freshly cut vegetable sticks in the refrigerator
- Add raisins, bananas, and other fresh or dried fruits to hot or cold cereals
- Top broiled or grilled meats with a homemade salsa made with tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, red onions, cilantro and limejuice
- Add bananas or berries to pancakes
- Provide dried fruit instead of candy
- Keep a bag of frozen vegetables in the freezer that can be added to stews, casseroles, and stir-fried dishes
- Freeze fruits such as bananas or grapes for a frozen treat
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