Instead of sending those leftover kitchen scraps into the compost, check this list and see if you can feed your chickens your kitchen scraps!
Back in September, I impulsively bought 21 chickens! The feed store only had so many left and I just couldn’t resist buying the last of them.
This was 11 more chicks than I had planned on buying that day but it is essentially impossible to resist those cute little chirpy fluff balls.We have loved having them. Seriously. Nothing is more entertaining than watching chickens chase each other, flap their wings around and hunt for bugs.
Another thing chickens are… They are expensive!
While we do give our chickens the option to free range, the ground is currently covered with snow and snow is quite scary to our chickens. They spend the majority of their day inside their coop eating chicken feed, which is actually quite pricey!
Therefore, we’ve had to turn to alternatives to make the feed last longer and make sure the chickens are getting as much vitamins, protein and minerals as possible. The best way we have found to do that is to turn to feeding them kitchen scraps!
As it turns out, chickens can actually eat a large amount of the scraps left over in your kitchen. In fact, the list of what they can’t eat is much smaller!
Kitchen Scraps That Your Chickens Can Eat
Apples – just avoid the seeds!
Broccoli
Melons – Watermelon, Honeydew, Cantaloupe are all great treats!
Corn – it can be cooked, raw, dry and even popped!
Cabbage
Cooked meat – Yep, chickens are omnivores! They will clear the meat off the bones of your leftover bones.
Sunflower Seeds – With or without the shell, just avoid salted or flavoured kinds!
Members of the Squash family
Leafy greens – Lettuce, kale, spinach.
Beets – With the tops!
Cooked Eggs – You can even give them crushed eggshells!
Foods to Avoid Giving Your Chickens
Avocado
Onions
Garlic
Uncooked Beans
You should also avoid anything too sugary or salty!
Why You Should Give Your Chickens Kitchen Scraps
It cuts down on feed costs.
It is a great way to close the loop of the composting cycle.
Your chickens will love to have different flavours and foods to peck and scratch at!
Giving your chickens kitchen scrap can really help to offset some of the feed cost. Especially in the winter if you live somewhere cold and snowy like I do!
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