14 Jun What Scraps can I feed my Chicken?

Table and kitchen scraps can be a terrific addition to the diets of your chickens. Being omnivores, they will eat just about anything; however, care must be taken on just what (and how much) is given in the way of scraps. Remember that the bulk of what you should be feeding your birds is a specially formulated chicken feed – this will provide them with the correct amount of protein and nutrients.

However, as a supplement to this everyday feed, some scraps can be given to provide variety (and reduce your own table scraps!). We will outline some of the common foods that should, and shouldn’t, be fed to chickens.

In moderation:

* Cooked meat

* Some veggies: e.g. boy choy, silverbeet, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, veggie peels, broccoli, and cucumbers.

* Some fruits: e.g. banana, melons, pumpkin, tomatoes, apples, and berries.

* Breads

* Grains

Avoid:

* Fried foods (unhealthy and difficult to digest)

* Uncooked and processed meats

* Avocados

* Onions

* Raw eggs or whole egg shells (this can lead to egg eating!)

* Chocolate (basically anything high in fat or sugar)

* Strong-tasting foods like garlic and fish – they can impart unpleasant flavour to poultry meat and eggs

* Anything spoiled or rotten

* Anything that contains alcohol or caffeine

* Dried beans

These kitchen and table scraps should constitute no more than 10% of your chicken’s diet… And if in doubt, don’t feed it! Feed a quality pellet as the bulk of their diet to ensure optimum nutrition, and provide easy access to clean, fresh water. We have a range of poultry feeds available to suit every stage of the life cycle.