Feeding table scraps to chickens provides variety in their diet while cutting feed costs; however, no more than 10% of their daily consumption should come from this source.
Chickens get most of their nutrition from commercially available feed that has been labeled “complete”. If they consume too many scraps instead of their complete feed, their health could suffer significantly and end up unhealthy.
Contents
Vegetables
Chickens enjoy feeding on raw greens, berries, and potatoes, in particular. They may also enjoy most cooked vegetables.
Avoid providing scraps high in sugar, salt and fat as this will over-stimulate chickens and divert their attention from more nutritious foods, such as layer feed. However, occasional treats of fried fish or cooked meats could provide welcome treats.
Most fruits are safe for their flock. Bananas and their peels, all parts of kiwi fruit and strawberries provide essential vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates.
Fruit
Chickens can consume most kitchen scraps safely, providing protein, vitamins and minerals for their diets. Feeding more kitchen scraps to your flock means less expensive commercial feed is needed; saving both you money and them money by making this decision!
Fruits such as apple, banana and berry scraps make a delicious treat for birds, whether fresh or frozen. Birds also love adding in vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, carrots and root veggies such as radishes, turnips or beets which provide plenty of vitamins.
Sugary foods and high fat scraps should be avoided in order to prevent weight gain in your flock, which could cause additional health problems. 10% of their daily food should consist of table scraps; providing this opportunity gives your flock an opportunity for exercise and enrichment.
Meat
Scraps can make an excellent supplement to chickens’ regular feeding regimen, provided it does not replace their daily ration of formulated feed. Scraps should only be offered sparingly in appropriate portions.
Avoid offering your chickens meat scraps such as ham, bacon, lunchmeat, Spam and heavily processed meats that may not provide the required nutrition to support egg production. Fatty foods could lead them to becoming overweight and therefore reduce egg-laying productivity.
Kitchen scraps that can provide their flock with essential vitamins and minerals are berries, fruit peels, kiwi fruit, strawberries and the leafy tops of watermelons. Not only are these treats tasty treats for their flock but they are also high in essential vitamins and minerals.
Bread
While chickens receive all of the essential nutrition from their feed, adding kitchen scraps as treats to reduce costs and provide tasty snacks is also beneficial to their wellbeing.
However, be sure to avoid feeding your poultry any fatty scraps, sugary or salty food, alcohol drinks and moldy food items. Limiting their fatty food consumption will help avoid obesity which can lead to other health issues in poultry.
Chickens love kitchen scraps like potatoes, sweet potatoes, whey (the liquid expelled during cheesemaking), cooked pasta and fruits and vegetables*. Scattering these foods on the ground and encouraging your chickens to peck at them provides enrichment and exercise; providing these foods also encourages foraging which is biologically appropriate and saves on feed costs.
Eggs
Chickens enjoy eating a wide range of food, except nightshade leaves, chocolate and raw meat (which should never be fed to them). When they feed on kitchen scraps instead of commercial feed they save both you and the farmer money by decreasing their commercial food requirements.
Kitchen scraps should generally be safe for the flock as long as they do not contain too much fat or salt. Remember that your chickens receive their main source of nutrition from layer feed; scraps should make up no more than 10% of their daily ration.
