{"id":97150,"date":"2022-04-06T07:00:16","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T11:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/?p=97150"},"modified":"2022-04-15T11:25:30","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T15:25:30","slug":"chickens-eat-it-all-so-be-careful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/chickens-eat-it-all-so-be-careful\/","title":{"rendered":"Chickens Will Eat It All! (So Be Careful)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNot again!\u201d My son Jaeson caught me red handed as I put a rubbery zucchini and the remains of last week\u2019s cantaloupe into our kitchen compost crock. It\u2019s not that he hates seeing food go to waste (I certainly do!). Rather, he laments that our elderly produce\u2019s final destination is not our compost heap but our chicken run.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose birds eat better than I do!\u201d he complained.<\/p>\n

Jaeson is actually quite correct in his observation, but not in the manner he intended. He grumpily meant that our chickens eat more of our groceries than we do. And he\u2019s somewhat right. Our flocks do indeed benefit from our kitchen scraps, stale bread, unwanted leftovers, and shriveled fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n

Voracious Omnivores<\/h2>\n

My interpretation of Jaeson\u2019s complaint, however, is that chickens do indeed eat better than a lot of humans, especially picky kids (aka Jaeson) who refuse to eat anything but pasta and pizza.<\/p>\n

Chickens are omnivores that eat both plant matter and animal-based proteins. They\u2019ll spend hours foraging for insects. And they\u2019ll gladly eat any frogs, mice and snakes they manage to catch.<\/p>\n

Chickens will also chow down on scrambled eggs, aging meat loaf and\u2014yes\u2014even leftover chicken.<\/p>\n

Nobody liked your tuna casserole? Your chickens will eat it. Grilled too many hot dogs? Your chickens will help you out with that, too.<\/p>\n

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Read more: Black soldier flies are a self-harvesting chicken feed.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Fruit Fanatics<\/h2>\n

Chickens also adore anything with seeds: melons, bell peppers, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, you name it. Stone fruit is a particular favorite. My hens just seem to know when I\u2019ve eaten all I can of a peach, plum or nectarine and will polish the rest of the fruit right off the pit.<\/p>\n

The little rascals have also swiped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pizza slices right out of my sons\u2019 unsuspecting hands. Lesson learned: Don\u2019t eat around the chickens unless you intend to share!<\/p>\n

My birds are also rather fond of my holiday fruitcake, which is more than I can say for my immediate family. Chickens truly have remarkable palates!<\/p>\n

Treat Seekers<\/h2>\n

Our birds are also very astute when it comes to recognizing where to find especially tasty treats. The moment one of our chickens sees us toting our kitchen crock in their direction, they sound the alert. Suddenly all of our birds dash out of their coops, gathering by the gates in anticipation of delectable delights.<\/p>\n

We had to fence in our vegetable garden to keep the chooks from demolishing our salad greens, radishes, turnips, corn shoots and baby melons. I also discovered that the handful of Orpington hens that kept ranging into the woods weren’t being purposely dense. They\u2019d discovered the raspberry canes that thrive there.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also lost track of how many times I\u2019ve shooed chickens (and turkeys!) off our deck railing, which provided them with convenient access to our wild-bird feeders and their yummy assortment of bird seed.<\/p>\n

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Read more: Learn more about the 5 essential nutrients in chicken feed.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Forbidden Foods<\/h2>\n

Despite their voracious appetite for everything, chickens should stay away from several human foodstuffs which are safe for us but can be troublesome or downright dangerous for them. These include:<\/p>\n