Sooo... I have learned a ton of what chickens (and ducks) DO and DO NOT eat and what may change when the winter snows cover the scrumptious green grasses or the tasty bugs. I was surprised at what my birds enjoy eating and thought I would share my discoveries.
We do have a balanced "Layer" stage poultry feed in crumb form accessible to the birds at all times along with fresh water. We also have dishes of crushed oyster shells for extra calcium - essential in strong egg shell formation.
Another source of calcium for our birds is egg shells themselves. This surprised me but its true and the birds love to eat them!
I had originally tried just breaking up the shells of eggs I had used in the kitchen but the inner membrane made the shells hard to break into small pieces and the birds didn't seem to enjoy eating the membrane either. After some reading, I decided to try drying the egg shells in the oven, cooling and then crushing.
My go to method now is to collect the used egg shells in a dish on my counter and when I have finished using the oven for baking or cooking, I turn off the oven, place the egg shells on a cookie sheet and let them sit in the cooling oven. By the time everything is cool, I have dry brittle egg shells that I crush in various sizes in a ziplock bag and take out to the coop.
The birds are very happy with the end result!
I originally believed chickens were herbivores... watching them devour mealworms and bugs changed my thinking completely and now, when I am cooking meat - even beef, I take a little bit aside, chop it into fine pieces and share it with my feathered friends.
And even my furry friends.
Look at Chachi here waiting patiently, giving the hens first dibs on the meat. What a gentleman.
And bowl cleaned right up.
Lastly, our family always seems to have yogurt in the fridge that is nearing expiration. Before it gets that far and has to be wasted, I mix it up with a little bit of oats and we have a tasty treat that is high in fibre AND calcium!
Darling, you have a yogurt moustache.
Good sharing, and another bowl cleaned up!
Obviously, all the above are occasional treats and don't make up the majority of the diet. Just like us, too much of a good thing isn't always the best thing.
Other items from my kitchen that our birds enjoy as a treat are leafy greens (spinach, lettuce) and cooked pasta. They loooove cooked spaghetti - do they think they are worms?
And there you go! Maybe a little more about a chicken's menu than you wanted to know. :)
Jeanette
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