# What not to feed chickens



## doug (Jun 19, 2012)

Like dogs and chocolate anything you are not supposed to feed chickens?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Raw Onions and raw potatos are posionous to them.


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## Evets (Jun 27, 2012)

Good to know.
How about apple seeds? I sometimes give my hens left-over, past prime apples. I've never had a problem but I've often wondered if I should.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Technically apple seeds are posionous BUT it would have to be in large quantities. By giveing them a couple apple cores is not enough to hurt them.


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

this information is invaluable to a beginner like me, so thanks very much.


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## Evets (Jun 27, 2012)

Apyl said:


> Technically apple seeds are posionous BUT it would have to be in large quantities. By giveing them a couple apple cores is not enough to hurt them.


Thanks, Apyl.


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## Jason (Jun 24, 2012)

I knew about the onions but not the potatoes. I never fed either to our birds, but how poisonous are onions and potatoes? Is it instant death or just make them sick? Like I said I've never fed either, just would like to know. Thanks for sharing!


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

I've always read/heard about the raw potato skins, because of the green part. It is toxic to humans in large doses, since chickens are little, then they would be more affected I guess.

I read somewhere, long, long ago about not giving them citrus peels or rinds etc. Not sure about the onions, they usually don't bother with any onions that I have noticed. I give them anything that is left over from dinner that isn't going into the compost. They many times jump in the compost and help themselves. I've never had one sick from it that I know of. Macaroni & Cheese is one of their favorites.

As for apples, well, I have an apple tree in the chicken yard and it drops the apples before they are ripe and as they drop the chickens run over and eat it. When we press apples for cider in the fall the mash goes to the chickens. However, by the end of the day they just aren't so thrilled with the mash anymore and apples aren't the treat for awhile. I think they get tired of them and want something different. So the girls get a LOT of apple seeds without issues.


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## dbbd1 (Jul 8, 2012)

Okay, so we all kow that chickens will eat almost anything put in front of them. What about coffee grounds? Good, bad?


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## machinist (Jul 17, 2012)

At one time or another over 60 years, we have thrown everything mentioned to our chickens, with no ill effects. I've never seen one eat a potato or citrus peel. I think they pretty well know what to leave alone. No point in taking chances, though, now that I know better. 

My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

machinist said:


> My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.


I had a hen try to swallow a mouse WHOLE. I had to chase her down and pull the thing out by its tail because it was stuck in her throat!!


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## alexzero13 (Jul 2, 2012)

machinist said:


> At one time or another over 60 years, we have thrown everything mentioned to our chickens, with no ill effects. I've never seen one eat a potato or citrus peel. I think they pretty well know what to leave alone. No point in taking chances, though, now that I know better.
> 
> My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.


Poor mouse


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## hollyosborn (Jul 8, 2012)

uh... my chickens eat EVERYTHING... onions, potatoes, cat food, dog food, rabbit poop, peppers, the more they eat the more eggs i get.... oh and they love chicken! LOL


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Ive never had chickens get sick from onion and taters, I don't seperate them from other kitchen veggie scraps.. Like said before it would take a lot to hurt them, they don't mess with them
Because they don't like them, mine free range all day so that have variety, if cooped up and that was all that was left then I reckon they'd try to eat it, from lack of options.. Then you may have problems.. Just my 2 cents.


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## Riverdale (Jun 23, 2012)

Roslyn said:


> I had a hen try to swallow a mouse WHOLE. I had to chase her down and pull the thing out by its tail because it was stuck in her throat!!


Shouold have seen what happened to a vole that ran acrossed the chicken run. I am *glad* chickens are not bigger!


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## Riverdale (Jun 23, 2012)

The only thing we do not feed our chickens are
raw eggs
unwashed (not baked) shells
raw potato skins (cooked are okay, tho)
potato, tomato and other nightshade greens (leaves)

The only thing I ever saw a chicken not try to eat is an Eastern tent caterpillar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_tent_caterpillar

Mine won't *touch* them. They 'pillars are extremely high in either arsenic or cyanide.


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## Elkie1 (Jul 14, 2012)

dbbd1 said:


> Okay, so we all kow that chickens will eat almost anything put in front of them. What about coffee grounds? Good, bad?


My grounds go into the vege garden. I can't imagine chickens on a caffeine high! Talk about running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! LOL


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## Kimberly (Jul 19, 2012)

hmmm thats really interesting because I feed mine every leftover or scrap we have. I always have red onion in our salad and we dump the leftovers in to our chickens and the fight over the onion. It hasn't hurt them in 3 years now.


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## dbbd1 (Jul 8, 2012)

Elkie1 said:


> My grounds go into the vege garden. I can't imagine chickens on a caffeine high! Talk about running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! LOL


That is what I thought, but had to ask...


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## kaytee (Aug 2, 2012)

Will they leave things like tomato/potato plants alone when they range a garden? Other poisonous plants?


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

i have potato and tomato plants in my garden and the chickens dont bother with them. they love my cabbage and lettuce though.


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## Riverdale (Jun 23, 2012)

kaytee said:


> Will they leave things like tomato/potato plants alone when they range a garden? Other poisonous plants?


Yes they will, just like the tent caterpillars in my post on page 2. We don't put tomato/potato leaves for then to get to (nor other types of nightshades).
Ours do love violet leaves (we have a lot of violets around), dock and plantain (the plant not the fruit) and other edible ( to people) plants.


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## Jennibobs (Jun 29, 2012)

Over this side of the pond we aren't supposed to give them kitchen scraps. Crazy as they seem to love all that stuff, and it would help with recycling


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## pjolly (Jun 23, 2012)

My girls will strip tomato plants of their leaves if given the chance! They sneak into the garden once in awhile, and will head straight for the tomatoes before I can shoo them back!


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## Jeremysbrinkman (Jul 12, 2012)

We eat tomatoes and onions almost everyday and my girls get both. But OMG they love watermelon and cantaloupe.


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## dbbd1 (Jul 8, 2012)

Jennibobs said:


> Over this side of the pond we aren't supposed to give them kitchen scraps. Crazy as they seem to love all that stuff, and it would help with recycling


Even if you are raising them for your own consumption (meat and/or egg)?
I guess we are not the only ones with ill-thought laws.


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## Morliane (Jul 4, 2012)

I had a lady that came to my house to get chicken eggs. A mouse got into the chicken yard one time when she was there and she saw the chickens catch and eat the mouse. She freaked out over it so much she refused to get any more eggs. She couldn't stand the idea that some mouse protein might be in the eggs. And she had been giving me table scraps to feed the chickens. Rotten food was OK but a MOUSE!! I guess she was just that scared of mice.


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## Tony-O (Jul 19, 2012)

My chickens eat onions, but usually just a peck or 2 at a time. My guineas have a feast and eat the wild garlic growth (In the onion family) every spring. That's how they worm themselves. So why would the onions be poison?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Can u feed raw eggs or shells to chickens? I accidentally dropped an egg once in the coop and couldn't get it up before my chickens ate the entire yolk and bit pieces off the shell.


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## omg3kids (Aug 18, 2012)

Great thread! Helpful stuff. Funny about the mice--that sounds like a plus side to having chickens in my opinion!


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## dbbd1 (Jul 8, 2012)

earlyt89 said:


> Can u feed raw eggs or shells to chickens? I accidentally dropped an egg once in the coop and couldn't get it up before my chickens ate the entire yolk and bit pieces off the shell.


Egg shells, yes. They do not recommend feeding raw eggs (cooked are okay) to your chickens lest they begin to like the taste and start eating them before you can collect them. It will not hurt them though.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Ok thank u. I was just curious. I have so many eggs I might start cooking them for my chickens


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## omg3kids (Aug 18, 2012)

earlyt89 said:


> Ok thank u. I was just curious. I have so many eggs I might start cooking them for my chickens


I used to feed my finches boiled eggs. They loved it.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Hahaha. Ok I got another question. How long can eggs sit in the nesting box or on the ground before its too late to collect them. I have free range hens that hide their nests.


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## dbbd1 (Jul 8, 2012)

From what I have read, about a day. Probably a lot less on a hot day though.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I have seen people let eggs sit for three to four days before collecting.


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

I have MS.. And sometimes can't collect eggs everyday.. And collect every other day but they're not hurt if they sit 2-3 days. Just not in direct sun or in the wet mud/poop. I try to get them each day to keep chicken/rat snakes at bay.. They move in at night and eat as many eggs as you leave behind


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## jn4 (Jun 21, 2012)

kaytee said:


> Will they leave things like tomato/potato plants alone when they range a garden? Other poisonous plants?


 no.......they will destroy the tomato plants......they eat the flower and will just tear up the tomato itself.

any bad tomatoes or peppers (worm holes or vine rot) I pull,.I give them to the birds....they will actually fight over them. I also give my birds eggplant and cabbage culled from my gardens.

A chicken will eat almost anything and does. They are natural foragers and have a varied diet. A chicken knows by nature what not to eat....normaly they avoid the potato plants and onion bulbs.....but love them when cooked.

The more varied the types of foods they get the healthier the birds.
Studies have shown that a strict diet of just "commercial" feeds can have a sometimes negative affect due to the limited nutrients of the feeds. Those effects are passed to subsequent generations through the DNA and shows up as less healthy birds that are more prone to diseases...especially respritory ailments.. The quality of some feeds are in question also now since a lot of feeds are produced in CHINA and have a less than satisfactory level of commercial and health standards....

Remember....you are what you eat....same for your flock!


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## jn4 (Jun 21, 2012)

earlyt89 said:


> Can u feed raw eggs or shells to chickens? I accidentally dropped an egg once in the coop and couldn't get it up before my chickens ate the entire yolk and bit pieces off the shell.


yes but be careful doing that........they will recognize that as a food source and will start raiding the nest for fresh eggs.
If you want to give eggs to them.....and it is good for them,...crush up the shells as much as you can so the dont relate that with the fresh eggs in the nesting boxes.........We give all our scrap egg shells to the birds.......great source of calcium..


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## BigECart (Jul 12, 2012)

I have heard that avocados are poisonous to chickens.


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## dbbd1 (Jul 8, 2012)

BigECart said:


> I have heard that avocados are poisonous to chickens.


Just do not feed them the skin or pit, the rest is fine.


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## Homegirl (Aug 6, 2012)

rob said:


> i have potato and tomato plants in my garden and the chickens dont bother with them. they love my cabbage and lettuce though.


Lucky you Rob, my chickens LOVE tomatoes, but will not touch lettuce or cabbage..My two newest girls ( I hope) LOVE kale and chard. .Go figure....


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## edenjohnny (Jun 22, 2012)

earlyt89 said:


> Can u feed raw eggs or shells to chickens? I accidentally dropped an egg once in the coop and couldn't get it up before my chickens ate the entire yolk and bit pieces off the shell.


Sure You can , but to be avoided because they will start eating their own eggs before You get to them. Also the shells should be crushed to be un recognisable as shells.


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## jjwilson72000 (Jun 21, 2012)

According to my wife you are not supposed to give them large amounts of celery as the "strings" of it can get wrapped up in the grit in their stomachs and become a large ball of undegestableness. I have never heard that from anyone else though.

We have a "feeding" area in our yard where we throw scrap food. If our potatoes get along too much I throw them out there and let them rot. They don't try to eat them but they will hang out and eat all the bugs that show up.

I was skinning a rabbit on a fence one time and had to go in the house to answer the phone. I was gone for about 10 minutes and the chickens found the rabbit and shredded almost half of it....they went into a feeding frenzy over it.


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## Melissa_Rose (Jul 13, 2012)

Hi 
I have heard that onion and garlic should be avoided because they can flavor the egg not so tastely!


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

kaytee said:


> Will they leave things like tomato/potato plants alone when they range a garden? Other poisonous plants?


 mine love tomatos, but i would say feed them lots of different things
if i drank 500 cans of Coke in a day i would die too but i only drink a couple so i'm good to go

piglett


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## Tony-O (Jul 19, 2012)

Melissa_Rose said:


> Hi
> I have heard that onion and garlic should be avoided because they can flavor the egg not so tastely!


Flavored eggs, my favorite. I like onion in my scrambled eggs. 

Wild garlic in the spring is a natural wormer.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I feed my chickens garlic oils to get rid of Mosquitos and its a natural wormer. Trust me it works I live in the swamps. And I have never noticed a different taste in the eggs


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## Mamachickof14 (Aug 28, 2012)

Hi! I'm new and would like to join in...but there has been no activity on here since July?? What's up? Jen


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I've been here about every 2-3 days. Not sure what you mean. People are posting all the time.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm on two times a day.


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Me too.. Think she might be lost..?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I see Energyvet, cogburn, and Rob on daily. Three devoted people. And I'm posting during a hurricane lol. Gulf coast is getting hit but it's not like what the Nightly News is saying.


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Auburn or Bama ?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Alabama all the way. RMFT!!!!!


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Lol.. I figgerd so.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I played football for Foley high school. I'm only 23 years old. I played with Julio Jones and Robert Lester if y'all know who that is. I was outside
Linebacker


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## Chickenboy (Sep 7, 2012)

Yea I know Julio jones. You wouldn't know a Howard loftin would you ?


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## stu-hens (Jul 18, 2012)

My hens like to have the run of the garden when i let them,cant all the time or they would destroy my borders and crap on patio and chairs etc,thats why i enclose them in a run but are there flowers that they shouldnt eat,they are attracted to red and have had a go at poppys and thought they might be a problem?


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## cookiesquish (Aug 29, 2012)

I feed my girls most things, I feed them left over food from dinner with exceptions. I don't feed them anything with processed sugar in it (I heard about a dog that went blind after eating sugar, I don't think it's meant for animals) or anything with salt in it. Basically anything that is unhealthy for humans the chooks don't get. I didn't know about the potato peel or onion but they wont go near them anyway. They go nuts for beetroot leaves and leafy greens, plus the feed we buy is the premuim one with lts of seeds and grains in it.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Riverdale said:


> The only thing we do not feed our chickens are
> raw eggs
> unwashed (not baked) shells
> raw potato skins (cooked are okay, tho)
> ...


That's really good to know! Mine have never gone after them but now I know why neither have any of the other wild birds in my area. Those darn things have no predators I swear. Gross disgusting tree wrecking things.


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## Mamachickof14 (Aug 28, 2012)

Mamachickof14 said:


> Hi! I'm new and would like to join in...but there has been no activity on here since July?? What's up? Jen


 Your right!! I was lost...new to the site and didn't really understand how it worked!! Now, has any one had their chicks eat frogs...I didn't see them eat it but they took turns running it all over...one of the grandkids rescued it but it was too late! It does kill your appetite for eating eggs?! Jen


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## CountryMama (Aug 13, 2012)

machinist said:


> At one time or another over 60 years, we have thrown everything mentioned to our chickens, with no ill effects. I've never seen one eat a potato or citrus peel. I think they pretty well know what to leave alone. No point in taking chances, though, now that I know better.
> 
> My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.


Yeah, they'll tear a mouse up! Frogs, too.


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## amandahalterman (Aug 11, 2012)

Jason said:


> I knew about the onions but not the potatoes. I never fed either to our birds, but how poisonous are onions and potatoes? Is it instant death or just make them sick? Like I said I've never fed either, just would like to know. Thanks for sharing!


I didn't know that about potatoes, I've dumped potatoe skins in there food many times, they never ate it, I just thought they didn't like it, lol if some did eat some, no one got sick


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## amandahalterman (Aug 11, 2012)

amandahalterman said:


> I didn't know that about potatoes, I've dumped potatoe skins in there food many times, they never ate it, I just thought they didn't like it, lol if some did eat some, no one got sick


Mine also eat tomatoes


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## amandahalterman (Aug 11, 2012)

My hens will go nuts for bugs, but they stop dead in the tracks when they realize it's a stink bug, anyone else's eat stink bugs?


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## redmaples (Aug 28, 2012)

mine pick them up then spit them out!!! Mine eat everything!!! they especially like poison ivy I am a little alergic to it but chickens are fine. I have seen them pass things up but they love to rip apart the mice that the cat catches. I feed them tomato horn warms when I find them on the Tom plants thats always good for some fun!!! The only thing I don't given them is meat scraps. bread, pancake leftovers, usually cooked potatoes, that kind of stuff. they don't eat watermelon rinds or orange peels or anyhting like that. but Corn WOW!!!! They love it that is their fav thing!!!! dry raw cooked it doesn't matter!!!


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## BootedBantam (Aug 31, 2012)

Since I am a food expert, not a chicken expert (yet) Food is the same to humans as it is to chickens. If it is good for you, it will be good for your chicken. What is posionous to humans is posionous to chickens. Not everyone will like the same foods, same goes for chickens. Also, people have allergic reactions, same for chickens. Also, (let's use posion ivy as an example) Even though two people touch or digest it, they might not have the same reaction to the plant. 

The better the chicken keeper eats, the better their chickens eat. Personally, I chop everything up I give to them. I am currently drying greens, like kale, brocolli leaves, green bean tips, and chard. I will sprinkle that on their food to give them more greens in the winter, plus they like them. I try different foods with the chickens, leftovers. They love bread, greens, seeds,leftover cuts from veggies, and peanut butter. My rooster freaked out when I ate a peanut butter sandwhich in front of him.


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## edenjohnny (Jun 22, 2012)

BootedBantam said:


> Since I am a food expert, not a chicken expert (yet) Food is the same to humans as it is to chickens. If it is good for you, it will be good for your chicken. What is posionous to humans is posionous to chickens. Not everyone will like the same foods, same goes for chickens. Also, people have allergic reactions, same for chickens. Also, (let's use posion ivy as an example) Even though two people touch or digest it, they might not have the same reaction to the plant.
> 
> The better the chicken keeper eats, the better their chickens eat. Personally, I chop everything up I give to them. I am currently drying greens, like kale, brocolli leaves, green bean tips, and chard. I will sprinkle that on their food to give them more greens in the winter, plus they like them. I try different foods with the chickens, leftovers. They love bread, greens, seeds,leftover cuts from veggies, and peanut butter. My rooster freaked out when I ate a peanut butter sandwhich in front of him.


Most definately NOT TRUE. Curry and spices can be good for humans, but will really upset your chickens gut. 
Behave.


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## BootedBantam (Aug 31, 2012)

Have you been peeking in my spice cabinet? Not all humans can digest curry and spices without it upseting the gut. So, I get your point. I personally think spices are healing. I am trying to learn more about the digestion of the chicken, so all thoughts are appreciated! 

Like Sundancer always says "think nature" 

Chickens have no teeth, so they can't chew their food. I think that is why I hear the word mashed all the time. Easily digested.


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## CountryMama (Aug 13, 2012)

BootedBantam said:


> Have you been peeking in my spice cabinet? Not all humans can digest curry and spices without it upseting the gut. So, I get your point. I personally think spices are healing. I am trying to learn more about the digestion of the chicken, so all thoughts are appreciated!
> 
> Like Sundancer always says "think nature"
> 
> Chickens have no teeth, so they can't chew their food. I think that is why I hear the word mashed all the time. Easily digested.


You don't HAVE to chop the stuff up. They don't have teeth, but they do keep rocks in their gizzards to grind all that stuff up. I feed my birds whole grains and I make sure they have plenty of granite grit available. HOWEVER, in the winter I'll grind their food up a _little_ bit so they don't expend energy grinding that they could be using to keep themselves warm.


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## susiespark (Sep 25, 2012)

Wow, great thread! Have been debating about whether to give our girls raw onion, so got my answer, thank you  They really enjoy mashed potato and breads (wholegrain) We're in Ireland so those are fairly staple foods. Should we stop feeding those? We only have them just over 3 months and they seem to be thriving... We get a nice big egg from each of them every day now... Thanks


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## edenjohnny (Jun 22, 2012)

Hi Susiespark, just be careful of giving dry bread as it can do strange things in the crop. I throw in a cabbage now and again and they demolish it.


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## ethel (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh poor little mouse. Our hens chase toads and frogs and even squirrels! We don't feed them potatoes,onions, no meat scraps,critus,no fat. They love macaroni and cheese,oatmeal with milk,toast and butter and pancakes.Spaghetti is really a fun food for them.

We have some large planters with cabbages that are a bit too close to their fence(we have a side field fenced just for the ladies).Had to put up an extra temporary fence because they were stretching their necks out through the chicken wire tying to grab the cabbage leaves!


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## ChickensSayMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

There are lots of poisonous plants; for example Agapanthus roots, Geisha girl (yellow seed pods) Oleander (whole plant).....best to Google what is poisonous and is local to you. Heres a link for an Australia site http://www.anbg.gov.au/poison-plants/index.html
Best to remove anything that could cause a problem...or make sure your chooks (chickens) have no access to them. (be careful what you put into your compost bin too; if you let your chooks near its contents)


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## ChickensSayMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

Here is another link that is useful 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poisonous_plants

for eg. Tomatoes are okay for chickens (mine love cherry tomatoes!) but their leaves are poisonous....I guess most chickens wouldnt eat the leaves, but if you fed them to them and nothing else was on offer they might try them.....


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## Chickadee (Oct 15, 2012)

What an interesting topic. My chickens have access to the compost area and are not interested in potatoes and onions. I am fairly new to chickens and was shocked to see one of my hens swallow a lizard whole, head first! She was sick for a couple of days afterwards.

I am always amazed at the different preferences of chickens. Mine don't care for pumpkin, but others say their chickens love it.


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## DansChickens (Sep 14, 2012)

Do not feed them citrus !


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## Kokoschicks (Sep 13, 2012)

I love the information thanks a bunch! And keep it coming!


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## Kellence (Nov 15, 2012)

earlyt89 said:


> Hahaha. Ok I got another question. How long can eggs sit in the nesting box or on the ground before its too late to collect them. I have free range hens that hide their nests.


I had a nest a hen laid ten eggs I cracked each one into a cup before use and they were all ok so 10days is fine unless before that time she has decided to sit but u will see if they are ok or not


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## Craig (Dec 12, 2012)

hello, 

I feed mine boiled potato skins and cabbage, mixed up, still warm with a few layer pellets and watch them go nuts.. they have this at breakfast, always gone within 10 mins...

Apparently DEFRA is anti-kitchen waste, even tho we arent to blame for the farms screwing it up for the rest of us!


Mine has Garlic water everyday, as its a natural antibotic and ment to be a natural wormer, but i have NEVER noticed a taste or anything different, even when they eat the clover..

Craig


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Chickadee said:


> What an interesting topic. My chickens have access to the compost area and are not interested in potatoes and onions. I am fairly new to chickens and was shocked to see one of my hens swallow a lizard whole, head first! She was sick for a couple of days afterwards.
> 
> I am always amazed at the different preferences of chickens. Mine don't care for pumpkin, but others say their chickens love it.


 we cook pumpkins,squash, onions & green peppers(with the seeds)
they just go nuts. chickens in the wild will eat most plants/seeds & ANY meat they can get.


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## Lissa (Oct 23, 2012)

Mine eat pine needles! Is this ok? I know my rabbits aren't supposed to eat them. Piglett: Do you grind up the pumpkin seeds? Thanks everyone for the great information.


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## Chickadee (Oct 15, 2012)

I discovered something recently that I thought I would share. My chickens absolutely love acorns, the inside. They almost fight over them. I decided to do some reading about it and read that some people supplement their chicken feed with acorns, but after reading further, I discovered that they are actually toxic to chickens. They cause a lowering in egg production and even death in some chickens.


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## CharlieEcho (Nov 25, 2012)

*Not sure;*



Chickadee said:


> I discovered something recently that I thought I would share. My chickens absolutely love acorns, the inside. They almost fight over them. I decided to do some reading about it and read that some people supplement their chicken feed with acorns, but after reading further, I discovered that they are actually toxic to chickens. They cause a lowering in egg production and even death in some chickens.


I wouldn't consider acorns as a primary feed for chickens. I feed acorns to our chickens once or twice a week, just a little at a time. About two shovels full including the hulls. I've read that acorns is a good supplement for wintering the birds. The web sight "Living the Frugal Life" for one.

We store the acorns in plastic tubs if they are dry when we pick them up or in a metal horse water tank. We leave it open to let the acorns stay drying-out. We also store the containers in the barn out of weather. Rodents haven't been a problem, yet.

We have a small electric chipper we run the acorns through. This chops up the acorn meat and hulls together. The chickens pick through and eat the meat leaving the hulls as bedding in the barn. There is also a treat inside some of the acorns. Some have a small white larve, "waxworm" inside that the choppers seems to spare. The chickens love them it seems. We haven't noticed any reduction in egg laying.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Lissa said:


> Mine eat pine needles! Is this ok? I know my rabbits aren't supposed to eat them. Piglett: Do you grind up the pumpkin seeds? Thanks everyone for the great information.


nope we just cook them up in a big pot & that is their breakfast
they really go nuts over it


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

doug said:


> Like dogs and chocolate anything you are *not supposed to feed chickens?*


What NOT to feed chickens....if you are eating their eggs or using them for meat I suggest NOT feeding them dry cat or dog food! Lots of folks telling people to do this to increase egg production in the winter but dry cat and dog food contain ingredients that are NOT suited for human consumption. If you need to boost protein in your chicken feed consider using "floating fish pellets" instead of dry cat or dog food!

I guess if you are NOT selling your eggs to the public and you don't mind ingesting cat food by all means feed all the cat food you desire.


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## lorindaeb (Oct 23, 2012)

I appreciate all the feedback on this thread. I'm pretty new to chickens myself. My girls seem to eat anything they can get there beak on...even styrofoam. (That got taken away right away! Dang birds!!) 
Where I live, there is a company in town that makes organic feed and it is only a couple more dollars per 25# bag then the commercial stuff. I can actually recognize what they are eating...what a concept! They also get scraps from the kitchen, including chicken meat once In a while. I felt guilty at first...but they don't care. They ate that up so fast!
My girls free range in the yard and love bugs, grass, you name it. And they chase the neighbor cat if she comes back there. She doesn't even bother them, but they won't allow her back there. They don't seem to mind the squirrels. =)
.


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## donkeykongbeard (Jan 6, 2013)

Dog and catfood has higher standards of food saftey than human food. I work for a company that makes industrial food processing equipment. When we go into plants to do installs we were shocked, but its the truth. Apparently it eisier to sue for a sick or dead pet than it is a human.


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

donkeykongbeard said:


> *Dog and catfood has higher standards of food saftey than human food.* I work for a company that makes industrial food processing equipment. When we go into plants to do installs we were shocked, but its the truth. Apparently it eisier to sue for a sick or dead pet than it is a human.


I understand what your saying because I work for a company that makes "food grade" lubricants and most industrial food processing machines use our products. However, "higher standards for food safety" with respect to animal feed producers does not mean dry dog and cat food are suitable for human consumption....all one needs to do is read the product labels! Also many dry dog and cat foods utilize lower grades of corn or grain by products....for poultry feed the grain MUST have a very low percentage of Aflatoxin ( a fungus that can kill poultry) where as pet foods can container much higher levels of this toxin because cats and dogs are not as easily harmed by Aflatoxin like birds are. Same is true for "Deer Corn"....ever wonder why "Deer Corn" is often cheaper than Whole Corn for Livestock??? It is the Aflatoxin level, which the USDA allows to be higher in feeds used to feed wildlife!!!


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## donkeykongbeard (Jan 6, 2013)

That is true but the toxin you are talking about is naturally on any food source on the ground like peanuts, black pepper just to name a few of thousands. I was never trying to say you should eat cat or dog food, but if you did feed your poultry dry pet food they would probably be ok. Lots of things have to be come together to make the grains toxic. It does happen though. It Europe they had over 100000 turkeys die at the same time causing Europe to change the grains they were feeding the turkeys. A couple of years ago a dog food company had to do a recall from the toxin. I personalty buy feed for poultry and have great results, but its not cheap. Some people I know have a flock of 40 and feed them crushed cattle cubes and have done this for 20 years with great results. I am sorry if my previous post was misleading as far as saying pet food was OK for consumption.


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## fuzziebutt (Aug 7, 2012)

I fed the flockers a can of wet cat food one time because they were pecking tailfeathers out and eating them. That is a sign of a lack of protien, when they eat the bloodfeathers, too. But I have one question that has not been addressed yet: did donkey kong have a beard??


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

fuzziebutt said:


> I fed the flockers a can of wet cat food one time because they were pecking tailfeathers out and eating them. That is a sign of a lack of protien, when they eat the bloodfeathers, too. But I have one question that has not been addressed yet: did donkey kong have a beard??


LOL...I guess only "donkeykong" can answer that question!!!

Other things can cause tailfeather pecking, too....but thanks for sharing that info I have never heard "lack of protein" was a cause for feather pecking??? Guess you learn something new everyday!!!


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## 1720Bluebell (Jan 11, 2013)

machinist and all of you chicken fanciers
I'm new to this forum, but old to chickens. My birds also catch the mice that dare venture out on to the floor of the henhouse during the day. That's payback for the harassment the mice cause the birds during the dark of night!
I have an old light Brahma girl that stalks songbirds under the bird feeders. She got a taste for juncos when she thrashed and finally ate a dead bird that had probably hit the window. Now she goes for the ground feeding juncos, sparrows, finches, etc. Collared doves are big enough to be safe. What amazing things these birds learn over the years! They respond differently to the approach of each of our 3 cats, as they know the cats have different agendas. Some have figured out how to bluff our 55 pound Australian Shepherd from tasty bones. Others fly up onto our deck when they see I'm out there eating lunch and attempt to hop up onto my plate. And chickens won't take No! for an answer. Oh, how we love 'em.


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## 1720Bluebell (Jan 11, 2013)

*my chickens eat everything, and then some*



hollyosborn said:


> uh... my chickens eat EVERYTHING... onions, potatoes, cat food, dog food, rabbit poop, peppers, the more they eat the more eggs i get.... oh and they love chicken! LOL


Yes, our birds eat meat-all kinds. I pick up road killed deer here in Colorado (it's legal) and open the carcasses. The hens dive on the fresh venison. Large rib cages, for instance from elk, are big enough for the birds to climb inside and peck from within. Talk about organic chicken food!
When the chicks were wee bits, I tried them with a little bit of ground meat-they shrieked and fled from the sight of that red stuff! How they'd laugh now if they'd remember those early days ;in the brooder.  
My favorite brown leghorn flys up over the garden fence that is supposed to keep the onion bed safe. She has a taste for green onions, and is there ever some damage to the crop if Jeanie has been in the onions and leeks....
The foolish 2 pound largemouth bass that choked to death on and oversized yellow perch in out pond was dragged ashore by the layers and riddled with holes. 
I grew up with chickens; my partner did not. She occationally has reason to remind me that when I was urging up to get layers, I neglected to tell her Oh So Many naughty little things that those sweet birds can do. LOL


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## 1720Bluebell (Jan 11, 2013)

*my chickens eat everything, and then some*



hollyosborn said:


> uh... my chickens eat EVERYTHING... onions, potatoes, cat food, dog food, rabbit poop, peppers, the more they eat the more eggs i get.... oh and they love chicken! LOL


Yes, our birds eat meat-all kinds. I pick up road killed deer here in Colorado (it's legal) and open the carcasses. The hens dive on the fresh venison. Large rib cages, for instance from elk, are big enough for the birds to climb inside and peck from within. Talk about organic chicken food!
When the chicks were wee bits, I tried them with a little bit of ground meat-they shrieked and fled from the sight of that red stuff! How they'd laugh now if they'd remember those early days ;in the brooder.  
My favorite brown leghorn flys up over the garden fence that is supposed to keep the onion bed safe. She has a taste for green onions, and is there ever some damage to the crop if Jeanie has been in the onions and leeks....
The foolish 2 pound largemouth bass that choked to death on and oversized yellow perch in out pond was dragged ashore by the layers and riddled with holes. 
I grew up with chickens; my partner did not. She occationally has reason to remind me that when I was urging up to get layers, I neglected to tell her Oh So Many naughty little things that those sweet birds can do. LOL


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## 1720Bluebell (Jan 11, 2013)

kaytee said:


> Will they leave things like tomato/potato plants alone when they range a garden? Other poisonous plants?


 Ours will gobble the tomatoes themselves and ignore the leaves; they will eat tater plants to the ground. Wild birds-pheasants, quail-thrive on nightshade berries. Why not chickens?


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## Australorp (Dec 28, 2012)

*Colored Eggs*

Last Summer I grew a whole lot of peppers, and ended up giving the hens what we could not eat or give away. I noticed the egg yolks were turning a deep orange and the kids did not want to eat them. This all happened over a three or four week period and after we noticed the change in yolk color I cut way back on the peppers and the egg yolks went back to normal. Any one know if peppers are harmful the chickens?


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Australorp said:


> Last Summer I grew a whole lot of peppers, and ended up giving the hens what we could not eat or give away. I noticed the egg yolks were turning a deep orange and the kids did not want to eat them. This all happened over a three or four week period and after we noticed the change in yolk color I cut way back on the peppers and the egg yolks went back to normal. Any one know if peppers are harmful the chickens?


we cook up green peppers all of the time along with onions
they love that for their breakfast

ALSO welcome to the forum Bluebell
can you post a couple pics of your flock for us?

thanks
piglett


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Welcome Bluebell!


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