Fresh Raw Fish for Chickens?

[cabincrazyone]

I know fish is a good protein source for chickens. I'm wondering if there's anything unsafe or detrimental in throwing a freshly killed raw whole fish (like a freshwater perch or sunfish) into the run?

 

[peepacheep]

I do not know about perch or sunfish but the small mouth bass here in Oregon have parasites in cysts in their meat. When cooking bass for ourselves I trim the cyst out. I do not worry about the parasites when canning the bass for the dogs and chickens. An hour and a half of cooking in the pressure cooker takes care of them. Salmon in the NW can carry a parasite that is deadly to dogs if the dogs eat the fish raw, well cooked the flesh is safe for them. I would be cautious about feeding raw fish to my animals. Have to add that my chickens are crazy for canned fish.

 

[HorizonSon]

I have fed all kinds of raw meats (including salmon, etc) to our adult chickens and baby chicks.

I have plans this Spring to raise fathead minnows in a few large tubs that will be primarily for growing duckweed. I will continually keep the number of fish thinned out via feeding them to the chickens.

 

[Judy]

Mine wouldn't eat it. They'll eat the guts from cleaning fish but not raw flesh. So I nuked a few freezer burned fillets and that went over VERY well.

 

[cabincrazyone]

Thanks folks.

The reason I ask is that I could easily bring fish home from the cabin.

The perch are small and sometimes have small black spots on them. I'll forget them. But the sunfish or bluegills are always healthy looking when we clean and eat 'em. I could boil some up for the chickens in a pot over the fire pit at the lake. That would be easy enough.

 

[junglebird]

I bought some whole frozen fish at the Chinese market for my dog; they're about 8" long, grey and silver. Thawed one and gave it to the chickens, they devoured all of it. Afterward, I wondered if I should have worried about the bones. Was I lucky? Or are chickens ok with raw fish bones?

 

[cabincrazyone]

Were there any bones inside the eggs?

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
I dunno about that, but it's not unusual for me to take a tilapia fillet out of the freezer, let it thaw, and just let the girls have at it. I have a big chunk of salmon in the freezer right now & I have no doubt they will get to enjoy some of that, as well. So i can't imagine that a freshly caught fish would be harmful to them.

ETA: I just remembered that years ago I had a friend with chickens who used to peck at the little minnows from the pond on their property. That's fresh fish, and it never harmed them, so I think you would be okay.

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
They eat rocks, sand, and oyster shell. I imagine bones are less obtrusive than rocks. Also, any sharp bones would likely get disintegrated in the crop once it gets in there with all the sand and grit and what-not.

 

[cluckin tractor]

what about fresh water european carp

got plenty of them

can i feed it to them

do they contain cysts

if no then a carp on the choppin block with a axe quartering it is whats going to happen

chooks should like it