Can chickens eat clams?

[5lovelyhens]

We have some extra. Is it safe for my girls to eat them??

 

[Dad of the coop]

I would highly suggest not to feed your birds clams even if they are cooked. It is best to feed chickens food that they are familiar with such as bugs and veggies. lams are very foreign to chickens and could make them very sick.

 

[JayJo]

My chickens have picked at lobster and crab and shrimp shells and they've been fine.

 

[RonP]

Mine LOVE shrimp tails...

I would highly suggest not to feed your birds clams even if they are cooked. It is best to feed chickens food that they are familiar with such as bugs and veggies. lams are very foreign to chickens and could make them very sick.

Please provide your source...

Personally, mine have eaten leftover cooked clams (with pasta), with no ill effects.

 

[Dad of the coop]

It is just my belief and feeding foods that are way out of their environment can pose an unnecessary risk to the birds health. It is some what like if vegetarians start to eat meat again and some can transition back whereas others get very sick. So I guess it is how much risk a person is willing to take with their birds. Personally, I would not feed clams to my birds.

 

[enola]

Cooked clams, in moderation, should not hurt your hens. Free ranging chickens will eat a lot worse things than cooked clams.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Cooked clams, in moderation, should not hurt your hens. Free ranging chickens will eat a lot worse things than cooked clams.

I agree, in fact fish meal or seafood byproducts is currently part of commercial chicken food. In short clams (both raw and cooked) does a chicken good.

As for chickens being "familiar" with other foods like legumes, you can't (at least I can't) chase a hen fast enough to force her to eat a raw soybean. However roasted and expelled soybeans make up a large part of the protein in most commercial chicken rations.

 

[RonP]

Quote:

It is just my belief and feeding foods that are way out of their environment can pose an unnecessary risk to the birds health.

Ok, now I understand.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion or a belief.

I thought you were referring to some study that I wasn't aware of.

I have not found any empirical evidence to prove with factual certainty that chickens eating clams is harmful....

As I said, mine get clams every so often as they are one of my favorites, and clams don't do well as leftovers.

 

[5lovelyhens]

Thanks guys!!