Chickens can eat almost everything from meat to vegetables…
You can give them dog food and they’ll peck it with full gusto. You can give them pig food and they’ll eat it without hesitation. Chickens are cleaners of garbage tidbits. They can even wipe out every insect, worm, or anything little and more vulnerable than they are. The good thing about raising chickens in your backyard is that it needs no feeding qualifications other than vitamins and boosters.
Grains can also be fed to your chickens. Scraps of food bits and peelings can also be fed. You see, feeding isn’t that hard for as long as you save some of those leftovers for your poultry to feed on. Chickens are also intelligent for they know when the bucket of treats is ready for lunch.
You can feed your chicken in many ways. You can either put it in a container in the chicken coop that is big enough to accommodate their number during mealtime. Scattering their food isn’t also a bad idea without the worry that it will go to waste and remain scattered. Bones with tiny bits of meat are also their favorite.
Now, when it comes to hens laying eggs, calcium is required for their diet. During the months when laying season is on its verge, you can feed your hens calcium just by including in their meal clam shells that are already crushed. Do not, by any means give clam shells that are whole. They may be at risk of recognizing these clams as their own egg shells. So you have to see to it that the clam shells are thoroughly crushed into pieces before giving it to them. These are available in your local feed stores.
The most advisable food for your chickens are feeds, pellets, corn and grains. Meat, fruits and vegetables can be given out too. But chickens can’t have all the fun gobbling everything up. Their diet must also be kept in observance because there are certain kinds of food that aren’t advisable for them to eat. These foods can either be harmful or worse, deadly. Aside from the foods mentioned below, basically, other feedings are safe.
Reason why chickens should not eat these types of food
Chicken If you were given the opportunity to eat the thigh of your neighbor, would you do it? Same reason why chickens will dearly object if served with their own kind. But they will not know this. They never will. That’s why, it is alright if you have included chicken bones to their meals. But the consequences can be outstanding because if given large amounts of chicken meat or parts of the spinal cord and brain, this may lead to the development of encephalopathy.
Apple: An apple every two weeks given to 4 birds is fine but if this routine is done every day, you could expect digestive problems.
Peelings of Potato: Chickens don’t really like the idea of eating roots crops. The taste isn’t that enjoyable either.
Orange Peelings: The toughness of this is too much for them to take.
Tomato: Given in small quantities, tomatoes can be good but be careful cause if given in excess, they might affect the chicken’s droppings.
Banana: For some reason, they just don’t like them.
These are just some of the foods that arenít really advisable to give to your chickens. Just take note: Root plants arenít on top of their list; hard fuits can never be favorite; if given in large quantities, whatever the food is, will give their digestive system a hard time.