So what's the deal with vegetarian fed hens?

[starforever61]

If a hen is supposedly vegetarian fed, does that mean it's never had any meat or bugs in its life or does it mean that it just isn't directly fed meat or bugs?

Got into a discussion about this today...

I only feed mine chicken feed which is vegetarian but when they run around and free range I'm sure they eat bugs (and once I even saw them eat a vole!). So would mine be vegetarian fed since I only feed them chicken feed?

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

No, they aren't vegetarians.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

It goes back to the Mad Cow scare of several years ago. Beef and pork scrap used to be fairly common in chicken feed. But since the advent of Mad Cow many folks became concerned about it so that they did not want animal parts in their feed. This makes it easier for the mills as well because if they were to mix a load of feed containing any ruminant (as in cow) components they'd have to do an extensive cleaning before they could mix a load of feed that was meant for cattle. So they figured a way to make it a marketing point that saves them the trouble.

 

[starforever61]

that's why the whole "vegetarian fed hen" thing concerned me because people are starting to think that those are where to get the best eggs from and if my hens aren't vegetarian fed then who will buy eggs from me?

 

[PaulaSB12]

In the late 80's I worked at an animal feed firm. The meat and bone animal extract was kept on the floor. It had rats running over it it couldn't have helped. I wonder if this made the problems worse.

 

[starforever61]

Quote:
that must have gotten out and freaked everybody out! but chickens poop out the bad stuff and keep the good stuff so what does it matter? they'll eat anything

 

[gritsar]

Just a marketing ploy.

We've joked about it. Must mean vegetarians are feeding the chickens, cuz chickens are most definitely NOT vegetarians.

Don't believe me? Lay down in your chicken yard for one afternoon, pretending to be dead. You won't last long.

 

[wademach1977]

I would never be able to keep my chickens as vegetarians. They like to eat bugs so I do not think chickens do too well as vegetarians.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Mine were playing football with what was left of a mouse.

No they are NOT vegetarians and they don't do well on a all soy protien vegie diet.

 

[HLAC]

Whenever I see 'vegetarian fed chickens' I think that someone is grinding up vegetarians and feeding them to the chickens.

My chickens would eat 'em...