Fish and Chickens

[Jeffeff95]

Hey everyone!

Quick background story.
I was doing some research on what I can feed my chickens and I ran into an article about feeding them raw fish. After reading a few different articles on it, it seems perfectly safe but for some reason it just seems so weird to me lol.
Here in Manitoba we have suckers that spawn in the ditches during the spring and I always catch a good amount for catfish bait and winter fur trapping. I always have some left overs and it would be a great way to use them.
I am just wondering if anyone has done this with their flock before, thanks!

 

[Mini Horses]

If fish make eggs "fishy", then my girls must be putting out some stinky eggs with all the bugs and manure & onions they dig thru I threw a bucket of scraps a friend gave me for them, they pecked every scrap from the ham bone -- even the marrow! I had to remove the bone after a couple of days. Didn't want to attract varmits. Chickens aren't REAL picky.

Mine love watermelon. Amazing how they can eat right to the rind and leave that thin outer shell.

Yep, last year a couple frogs laid eggs in some. Few days later I saw some tadpoles, next day the chickens saw them, surrounded the spot and ZAP -- all gone. Picnic anyone?

 

[Beekissed]

I feed mine trout and trout offal after our yearly fishing trip each spring. They especially like the fish after it's well rotted in the sun and maggots have hatched. Every scrap of the fish disappears, so it's a fan favorite of my flock.

Think about how many birds in this world live on fish...it's no leap that chickens can consume it and benefit from it as well.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Hi Jeff, I hadn't yet but was planning to. My chickens free range and eat frogs, lizards, small snakes, all kinds of kitchen scraps including every type of meat or fish we toss out.

With such a great source for fish, have you thought of tilling some in to your garden? Fish and fish water and fish guts make fantastic fertilizer.

We have a small creek. We're thinking of damming it up, and making a small pond for raising some fish and ducks... someday...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I haven't done it on purpose - but I noticed chickens eating tadpoles out of shallow puddles last year...I guess they like fish!

 

[CrealCritter]

When we go for all you can eat crab legs, usually a big bunch of us. I bring bags so we can bring chickens and turkeys the leftovers. They peck at the crab leg piles for days I don't see why they wouldn't eat fish, chickens are nothing more than yard vulture hussies.

 

[Jeffeff95]

@Jeffeff95 I live in northern Alabama, so it's have to be something that could handle heat. Probably catfish or tilapia.

Yeah good point! Tilapia I bet would be very interesting.
I've thought about it here but I would have to dig a pretty deep pond, temps reached -50 last year so I would need at least 30-40 feet to make sure it didn't freeze to the bottom and kill off everything, it can be done though.

 

[Hinotori]

Mine get some raw tuna bits when I'm canning. Salmon is never left around raw here because dogs can get salmon poisoning.

Older jars of tuna or salmon get fed to all animals here.

 

[Jeffeff95]

Hi Jeff, I hadn't yet but was planning to. My chickens free range and eat frogs, lizards, small snakes, all kinds of kitchen scraps including every type of meat or fish we toss out.

With such a great source for fish, have you thought of tilling some in to your garden? Fish and fish water and fish guts make fantastic fertilizer.

We have a small creek. We're thinking of damming it up, and making a small pond for raising some fish and ducks... someday...

Nope can't say I've ever thought of that but thank you for the idea!
Thats a good idea you have about the creek though, what kind of fish do you think you would raise?

 

[Lazy Gardener]

When I was a kid, we'd catch a bucket full of suckers and bring them home. My dad would put a sucker, or part of a sucker in the bottom of every hill of corn. That man was an incredible gardener.

I've not fed raw fish to my birds. No reason not to do so, but I find myself wondering how they do with all those sharp bones. My birds won't even touch a mouse.