Feeding Chickens just People food...Can it be done??

[LilyD]

Okay so I have been toying with ideas of how to become more self sufficient with my chickens so I don't have to rely on commercial feeds or store bought grains to feed them. I raise a large garden in the summer and can or freeze pretty much everything I grow. I also fill my freezer and cupboards with canned and frozen chicken and I have a whole pig butchered in the fall and my husband hunts as well.

So here is my questions (sorry for so many but my mind has been going a million miles an hour this week).

1. Can I feed regular foods that I would have in my house to the chickens? My grandmother said that her chickens didn't receive feed at all in the spring through fall and she only fed them through the winter. My thoughts is that I could feed them rice or pasta, any table scraps I have and sprouted seeds such as dried beans and peas for greens and either meat or eggs for protein or boss and potentially peas or lentils for protein plus a calcium supplement such as OS or dairy products such as whey or cheese. Would this work and could it be a complete feed?

2. If I were going to feed them dried beans do I need to cook them for the chickens or can I sprout them and feed them both the seeds and greens at the same time?

I would appreciate any thoughts on this. My main issue is that the hens don't seem to do very well on the commercial feeds and I am constantly fighting off the squirrel and mouse population that lives on the property. It seems I feed the wildlife more than I do the chickens when I put out feed. I see them (squirrels and such) constantly in and out of the coop and in my feeders. I am all for hunting for food but I am not one who really believes in mindless killing so I would rather not eradicate the whole squirrel/mice population of the world but I would like to know that what I am feeding is going to the chickens and not to them. I know when I feed people food to the chickens that they gobble it right up and leave nothing behind and I certainly have plenty to share. Do you think this would be doable?

 

[Mini Horses]

Hi -- new to forum & glad to be here.......nice thread as we all need to feed well for less cost. My girls all free range & penned at nigh from predators. 20 hens provide way more than I need but, daughter & grdtr use, plus daughter sells all I have extra at her work. When there are extras, I freeze &/or cook for dog/cats/chickens.

I have milk goats -- as some of you may but, doesn't sound like a lot do -- anyway, living in VA we cannot sell raw milk straight up to people (can for PET USE). Happens that I have lots (might I say LOTS?!!) of milk and the chickens love it. Winter it's served warm. When the frig is a "wall of milk & eggs" I make cheese for self, friends and livestock. Freezes well, thaws nicely and can be fed as is or mixed. Of course, plenty of whey when you make cheese. Chickens get that sometimes as will my two new little piggies coming next week. (yes, they are freezer bound in Spring). And 2 more will be picked up in about 3 months, they are breeding stock intended.

This year my sunflowers did well, the milo was a good effort and comfrey doing nicely. These will all be expanded next yr as the chickens and goats eat them -- in one way or another. Other grains are being grown for animal feeds -- corn, pumpkins, kale, mangel beets, etc. I use non-GMO & heritage seeds. These type plants can all be harvested by hand, grown in smaller areas, are generally easily maintained & dried for winter use. Storage is a big consideration if you have more than a handful of birds. But, most who have several animals also have available space to store using tight lidded trash cans, etc. It is a time when feed stores carry many types of "feed lot" seed pkgs. These are often a great source of mixed seeds that are just as appreciated by our chickens & goats as the deer for which they have been pkgd. Pricy, yes -- but if you only have a small area to work, still less costly than trying to find and buy all these great varieties! You might also check out some of the human food co-ops that sell in bulk for things like buckwheat, chia, flax seed -- small quantities in many grocery stores -- to use for sprouting. In winter it's easy and can be a great source for fresh, nutritious greens. They will eat it, roots and all! My goats and horses will also. While some of these grains take more time & effort for us (grind, sprout, freeze, thaw, heat) I find it saves money. And we generally have more time than money. right? Do it by the fire, in the evening, wth a glass of wine.

Basically, I love my goats for more than their personalities. They give me great milk to drink, make yogurt, cheese, butter, etc., help feed cats, dog, chickens, pigs and their own kids. Now, there's an animal worth it's keep!!! Didn't even mentions that they not only make great fertilizer, they also spread it all around for me....remove weeds & growth on fences...what a helper they are! Everybody needs a couple goats.

My goal is to be as totally self sufficient a farm as I can! Next yr I plan to do canning again. Freezer is full -- have canners and jars, just didn't do much with a garden this yr and kicking myself for that. But did expand chicken coop, added some raised beds for next yr (filling with barn refuse) and my little greenhouse if about 1/2 way done -- all material to finish is on site. Experiments with various grains, beets, etc. to use for animals went well !! Now I know I can expand to at least help offset that winter feed bill.

 

[Wannabefree]

Beans NEED to be cooked for the animals. You can feed them on scraps, even their own shells for calcium, as long as nothing has too much salt(in the meat) and all legumes are precoked for them. I say go for it. Mine get stuff like that all the time, and feed to balance out because I have random stuff. Look into raising mealworms as a protein source as well. I have recently started and find them to be pretty easy, almost idiot proof...meaning I haven't screwed up yet

ETA: Squirrel meat would be a good protein source as well

 

[Wannabefree]

Actually on second thought...I have fed mine sprouted lentils...not precooked. So, I guess it depends really on the precooking of the beans. I have heard not to feed them raw, but sprouted isn't *exactly* the same huh? I wouldn't sprout pintos for them or anything, but they seemed to really like the lentils I gave them. Maybe someone else will chime in with the why on the beans Now I'm not so sure.

 

[FarmerJamie]

We feed our birds just about anything, including chicken scraps.....

 

[LilyD]

Beans NEED to be cooked for the animals. You can feed them on scraps, even their own shells for calcium, as long as nothing has too much salt(in the meat) and all legumes are precoked for them. I say go for it. Mine get stuff like that all the time, and feed to balance out because I have random stuff. Look into raising mealworms as a protein source as well. I have recently started and find them to be pretty easy, almost idiot proof...meaning I haven't screwed up yet

ETA: Squirrel meat would be a good protein source as well

Yeah I have shot a few but I don't eat squirrel (it's one of the only wild things we don't eat lol) never thought of feeding it to my chickens. They will eat the mice but they have gotten crafty about going in the coop only when the chickens are out free ranging. I don't want to use poison for them because the chickens do pick them up and eat them if they find them and I am not sure if they will actually ingest poison from eating the mice.

My main thing is I want to make sure that whatever diet I feed them is very varied so they get as many different nutrients with a high concentration on protein and calcium and whatever else I can throw in and that I don't feed them anything they shouldn't have. I am going to try sprouting some seeds that I have on my window sill so I will have between 8 and 16 jars of sprouts going through the winter for greens when I don't have any fresh greens to give them.

Is there anything I should worry about feeding them?

 

[LilyD]

We feed our birds just about anything, including chicken scraps.....

I fed mine leftover chicken today and they loved it as well as some leftover broccoli cheese soup, potatoes and fish. Not too worried about greens right now because we have no snow but later I will add those and some grains for added warmth.

 

[LilyD]

Actually on second thought...I have fed mine sprouted lentils...not precooked. So, I guess it depends really on the precooking of the beans. I have heard not to feed them raw, but sprouted isn't *exactly* the same huh? I wouldn't sprout pintos for them or anything, but they seemed to really like the lentils I gave them. Maybe someone else will chime in with the why on the beans Now I'm not so sure.

I wondered if they would soften up during sprouting when they are soaked? I was also thinking the same thing about dried peas do they need to be cooked as well? I have tons of dried beans and my husband was saying that since I am such a hoarder I should probably use some of what I have stored everywhere lol. I think right now I have a large stash of kidney, lima, great northern, and pinto but I am looking around at the stores for sources of dried peas, lentils and maybe barley to add into their diet as well.

Next question if I cook them ( which is usually boiling them in water) should I cool and feed them the water from the beans as well?

 

[FarmerJamie]

Corn heats their body up as they digest it. Don't know your climate, but a scoop of corn in the bitter cold helps.

 

[Wannabefree]

Actually on second thought...I have fed mine sprouted lentils...not precooked. So, I guess it depends really on the precooking of the beans. I have heard not to feed them raw, but sprouted isn't *exactly* the same huh? I wouldn't sprout pintos for them or anything, but they seemed to really like the lentils I gave them. Maybe someone else will chime in with the why on the beans Now I'm not so sure.

I wondered if they would soften up during sprouting when they are soaked? I was also thinking the same thing about dried peas do they need to be cooked as well? I have tons of dried beans and my husband was saying that since I am such a hoarder I should probably use some of what I have stored everywhere lol. I think right now I have a large stash of kidney, lima, great northern, and pinto but I am looking around at the stores for sources of dried peas, lentils and maybe barley to add into their diet as well.

Next question if I cook them ( which is usually boiling them in water) should I cool and feed them the water from the beans as well?

I don't think I'd feed them the water too. I'd just let them cool, then drain them and feed them.