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The whole "don't feed chickens scraps" thing is way overblown in my opinion
I've been keeping chickens for about 4 years now here in Austin. Last spring I had a neighbor tell me I was gonna kill my birds because I threw them some leftover pasta salad. But I've always given them kitchen leftovers (within reason, you know) and they're fine. Healthiest they've ever been actually. My vet even said a little variety is good for them as long as you avoid the bad stuff like avocado pits and raw beans. So where did this idea come from that chickens can only eat layer feed? Anyone else get lectured about this and just ignore it?
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thomas_roberts5d ago
Holy crap, someone at a feed store actually told you treats would mess up egg production? That's wild because most vets I've talked to here in Austin say a balanced diet with some variety keeps their guts working better. I swear some folks act like chickens are these delicate little things when really they're basically tiny velociraptors that can eat almost anything.
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the_julia6d ago
Wait, people actually think chickens can only eat layer feed? I mean, I've been keeping chickens here in Portland for like 6 years now and they get all kinds of kitchen scraps. My girls go nuts for leftover oatmeal and salad greens. I had some lady at the feed store tell me I was going to mess up their egg production by giving them too many treats, but honestly my flock has never been happier. I think as long as you're not feeding them anything legitimately toxic and it's not like 90% of their diet, they're totally fine. My vet says the same thing, that a little variety is actually good for their gut health. I swear, some people just love to lecture you about chickens like they're some fragile thing when really they're pretty tough little dinosaurs.
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