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Author Topic: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.  (Read 13723 times)

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #20 on: May 29, 2008, 08:41:58 pm »
I have no idea if prions are a problem with chickens as they are with cattle - the difference is chickens are omnivores, they can and do eat meat, whereas cows are herbivores.  They are not supposed to eat animal protein.  I think that has more to do with how things like mad cow disease gets started.  Not that I think it's a good idea to feed chickens other chickens, but I know their gut processes things differently than a cow's does.

Offline ooptec

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #21 on: May 29, 2008, 09:20:18 pm »
Hey,

Danno.... I wish I could find it again but it was how much less productive layers are every year they get older, and I was surprised it wasn't as much as I thought it would be. Something like 70% of the previous year is stuck in my head. All I have observed as a neophyte is that I bought 6X year old layers and get 5-6-5-6-5-6-5 ginormous eggs a week, were laying right out of the box so to speak and were cheaper than the chicks by a long ways as they were $1/ and the chicks were $1.80/. However the chicks are mainly for eating as they will be laying maybe a month before the end of the season. But as I only have 6 layers now, they are pretty spoiled so I wonder what the correlation is between productivity and diet??  As mine eat better than I do and even the dogs nose's are out of joint as the chickens get left overs before they do    lol

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #22 on: May 30, 2008, 02:37:51 am »
When I was a kid back on the farm in the early 50's when fed table scraps to various animals.  Most went to the chickens or, if sloppy, pigs.  Light greens and grains went to the rabbits.  Goats will eat just about anything except slop.  Hogs were the only ones that would consistantly gobble potato peels.  A chicken running with a strand of spaghetti is a sight to see.
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Offline danno

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #23 on: May 30, 2008, 09:12:25 am »
I wont ever buy chicks again.  For 6 bucks a bird I can get 15 week old started pullets.  No more heat lamps, dust and the hole mess.  Mine will be due for replacement next spring.  I have been useing Isa Browns and will continue.  They are laying machines!! With free range and scapes they dont eat much feed and I get  a egg aday

Offline qa33010

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #24 on: May 30, 2008, 03:12:22 pm »
I never heard of not feeding fish or potato peels.  We did it all the time when I was a kid.  Along with food made from grains as well as oyster shells, corn, wheat, oats, ect. from the fields.  The peels were from our garden and the fish were carp caught and other fish left overs.  They seemed healthy and layed well until they got old, then the table.  We never fed them chicken scraps.  They didn't eat all the peels, the pigs liked them the best.  That was the 60's and 70's.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #25 on: May 31, 2008, 02:46:03 pm »
The only reason raising chickens is popular world wide is that they can turn garbage into eggs and meat.  If you want to turn grain into eggs and meat many other birds are more efficient.  It is never a good idea to feed RAW meat to any animal intended for consumption.  But every thing else works fine.  Just cook the meat.
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Offline Gerald Boggs

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #26 on: June 01, 2008, 09:15:51 am »
The reason I don't feed table scraps except fruit and veggies, is because I live near a national forest.  My neighbor used to put out lots of scraps for the feral cats, the result was she also started attracting bears.  Bears and hives :-(   

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #27 on: June 01, 2008, 07:50:50 pm »
If you want to turn grain into eggs and meat many other birds are more efficient.

What birds are those?
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #28 on: June 01, 2008, 09:32:14 pm »
Quail and pheasants are both more efficient at turning grain into eggs.  Particularly quail.
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #29 on: June 01, 2008, 11:13:21 pm »
Quail eggs are tiny.  They're a pain to use in cooking - baking, specifically.  Chicken eggs are more 'efficient', and standard, for that matter.  If quail eggs had potential to be as 'efficient' they'd be the norm.

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #30 on: June 01, 2008, 11:16:20 pm »
   We dont have scraps.....We eat everything (oops,.."I" eat everything)..Oh yeh, thats right...I ate all my chickens too :)
 Actually, a nabors dog killed them all :(
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Offline poka-bee

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #31 on: June 02, 2008, 08:59:34 pm »
I had the family over for the 5 birthdays in May & June.  Burnt a turkey on the BBQ.  After stuffing ourselves & cutting off all the good meat I gave it to the chix..oh my,  what little piranha!!!!! :shock:  The family couldn't believe what they were seeing!  (Sat night in Buckley)  Everyone got a good chuckle, specially the one little hen that had the wishbone & was running around trying to hide it!  The carcass looked like it had been boiled after 1/2 hr! They also had all the leftover salad bits, rolls, chips etc.  The chicks now about 9-10 wks old, are beautiful & healthy.  Now they really come running when I go out & sing bok bok chickens!  They are so fun to watch, they still do the "cannon ball" thing, 1 will run & jump into the middle of a bunch, just like someone doing a cannon ball into the pool.  They did this from the 1st week on.just so weird!  Cindi, I too love my farm animals, they all have differrent personalaties.  I'm looking into getting a Dexter cow, hopefully w/steer calf A side & bred. Then we will have nummy good for you beef!  ***homer simpsons doughnut voice** steaks**MMM** :-D :-D  Jody
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Offline Frantz

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Re: Feeding the chickens table scraps and such.
« Reply #32 on: June 04, 2008, 10:28:42 am »
Yea, I agree. The best part of having these little Piranhas is watching them. For sure!!!
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