What can I temporarily sub for chicken feed?

[bhaugh]

My chickens love eggs. I'm sure you have some of those around. Fry some up or hard boil. I don't give mine raw. We get so stuck as humans on "balanced diet" that I think sometimes common sense flys out the window. You can feed bird seed, suet, oatmeal, yogurt, left over meat, corn grits, cooked pasta etc. I don't feed spoiled meat or foods I question but pretty much what you eat they can too. They will think they are on holiday with all this tasty food.

 

[JedJackson]

Avoid giving them lentils, black beans, bananas and apple seeds. Quinoa is expensive so I would avoid that, too. Scrambled eggs mixed with oats and cooked rice with a small amount spinach thrown in is a good temporary diet for chickens.

 

[sdm111]

We need to remember the reason is for them to survive a few days or a week. Not feeding them the most perfect formula for nutrition.

 

[citychicks99]

Avoid giving them lentils, black beans, bananas and apple seeds. Quinoa is expensive so I would avoid that, too. Scrambled eggs mixed with oats and cooked rice with a small amount spinach thrown in is a good temporary diet for chickens.

I did give them some pinto beans yesterday and then regretted it because I thought it might make them gassy. Today I gave them some rice, eggs, and a bit of spinach, mixed in with their leftover feed.

We don't have flax seed or bread, and actually ran out of oats. I have some frozen tilapia and pasta to change it up from rice and eggs. They are loving the variety from their typical feed lol

 

[JedJackson]

I did give them some pinto beans yesterday and then regretted it because I thought it might make them gassy. Today I gave them some rice, eggs, and a bit of spinach, mixed in with their leftover feed.

We don't have flax seed or bread, and actually ran out of oats. I have some frozen tilapia and pasta to change it up from rice and eggs. They are loving the variety from their typical feed lol

I doubt a small quantity of beans or lentils will hurt them, but much better if they are cooked, which will destroy most of the problematic compounds.

Tilapia and cooked pasta is good. Adding some form of veggie for fiber and nutrients would help, but since it is only a few days I think you will be just fine.

I bet they are enjoying the new food! Mine love table scraps, too.

 

[Sally PB]

Regarding raw beans: I read that raw/undercooked red kidney beans can cause serious issues for humans.
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021...cooked kidney,many plants, animals and humans.

I wouldn't feed raw beans to my chickens, just to be safe. It's plenty easy to cook them first.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

DEFINITELY cook first. Essentially all legumes/pulses. How to cook varies, but for just getting through a few days for your birds, cook for them like you would cook for you.

 

[citychicks99]

Oh, of course. I know to always cook beans before you eat them. I boiled mine.

 

[drangle]

I wonder how back yard chickens did 100 years ago in this country before commercial feed. I would guess in the winter they were getting table scraps and wheat/corn/milo

As long as it’s cooked I wouldn’t worry too much if it’s just for a few days. The important thing is to feed them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I wonder how back yard chickens did 100 years ago in this country before commercial feed. I would guess in the winter they were getting table scraps and wheat/corn/milo

As long as it’s cooked I wouldn’t worry too much if it’s just for a few days. The important thing is to feed them.

We know how they did. They did very poorly.

They did so poorly, in fact, that people normally culled the flock size down in advance of the worst of it to save on mouths to feed - chickens went from valuable as a producer of protein to valuable AS protein. and then you hatched Spring chickens as soon as you could to raise the flock size when the worst of it was over.