Feeding chickens peeling and odd bits of veg?

[Steshort1973]

Hi I have just started to keep chickens in my back yard. I have 3 so far, got all the food and supplements. I have just been looking on the Internet and discovered that it is illegal to feed chickens kitchen waste, raw or uncooked.

Can I still use peelings to give to the chickens or is this classed as kitchen waste? Would the same apply if I was to cook them some mash in my garage on toss in the odd carrot and potato? Just bought a pan and already have a camping stove to cook on.

Just wanting to see what other individuals do.

Thanks

Stewart

 

[tygrysek75]

All cooked potato leftovers from my table go to the chickens(not alot but they love it)Carrots peelings choped also going for them.Sometimes I give them special meal potato with gratet carrots mixed with dry nettles & bookashi.During winter I add sunflowers hearts in to this mix or porridge.You have to make sure that whatewer you give them has no contact with uncooked or raw meat.

 

[bex46]

This really only applies to cafes restaurants etc, people used to save their 'slops' for pig keepers etc,which is now illegal, seems like such a waste to me! . If they are your own chickens, in your own garden, do as you wish. I give mine everything thats left over and suitable for them.

 

[Chuck]

Boil pototo peelings as uncooked is poisonous. All the veg peelings are suitable but it should not be contaminated with meat. Mix it layers meal to dry it off a bit. Remember, potatos are fattening and laying hens shouldn't get too overweight.

You cannot do as you wish up your own back garden as if you have pet pigs, leftovers cannot be fed and movement licenses have to be filled in as with all pigs.

 

[Marigold]

As Bex says, the regulations are primarily there for commercial food outlets and were introduced in the wake of the foot and mouth crisis. Yes, to observe the letter of the law you should prepare food for the hens in an outhouse, but common sense is best and so long as you are guided by principles of good nutrition your hens will take no harm from the occasional SMALL human-grade treat. What is harmful is unbalancing their diet with cooked food high in fat, sugar and salt. Like us they will scoff down junk food but then they won't want their nutritious pellets and will lay down fat round their ovaries which will eventually cause egg laying and other medical problems. If you stick to veg peelings and fruit you wont go far wrong and if they're not fully free range this will be a good food supplement, but again, don't overdo it because they do need to be hungry for those pellets!

 

[BabyBantam]

Remember, potatos are fattening and laying hens shouldn't get too overweight.

Chuck, if I have underweight broody, would feeding her on potatoes help to fatten her up? I'm seriously worried about her eating and although she's out of the nestbox & we're trying to break her, need to do something to help the calorie intake!

 

[Marigold]

Wouldn't it be better to supplement with higher protein food, rather than piling on the carbs? Stuff like hulled sunflower seeds (25%) protein) mealworms, or chopped cooked egg, added to a warm damp mash made from normal pellets, is usually down the hatch in no time because it's so appetising. Maybe consider chick crumb as an addition as that's high in protein as well. She will have been getting the benefit of this whilst with her chicks in any case.

 

[BabyBantam]

No chicks and already feeding her sunflower, dried mealworms in mash mix. She's been laying HUGE eggs up to going broody (for a bantam) and the shells where getting a bit 'ropey' towardsthe last few. Think she's just running out of steam
Got her last April at approx 16 weeks, so not too old, just nutty

 

[Marigold]

Maybe working up to a well-earned moult? Have you tried cod liver oil or chicken vit supplements?

 

[foxy]

Remember, potatos are fattening and laying hens shouldn't get too overweight.

Chuck, if I have underweight broody, would feeding her on potatoes help to fatten her up? I'm seriously worried about her eating and although she's out of the nestbox & we're trying to break her, need to do something to help the calorie intake!

With an underweight and pale broody add a tsp of cod liver oil and crumbled boiled egg to her normal pellets. Give her a little scratch corn to encourage pecking around and foraging.

Keep an eye on her she should be OK if young, if struggling. check for redmite in the nest box, this can drain a broody and cause inappetence thus weight loss.

 

[BabyBantam]

Thanks Foxy, will try the egg & oil. she's not pale, about as red as a tomato though

 

[foxy]

Thanks Foxy, will try the egg & oil. she's not pale, about as red as a tomato though

She sounds pretty healthy then!