[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

I've just made some home made chips for tea and changed the vegetable oil
Question is would it be suitable to mix in with some of the chicken food to help with a bit of fat to keep them warm over winter also thought it could help with there crop etc

Thanks

[HesterF]

Personally I wouldn't - much as I'm deeply sceptical of any medical advice to add pure fat to a baby's diet to build up their weight - it just seems to me as if adding pure fat to a diet to give them weight/energy is not the right way to do it. In nature they wouldn't be eating pure fat but foraging for carbohydrate and protein which would give them the energy they need. I tend to give them more mixed corn at this time of year. I don't think they need oil for their crops unless something has gone wrong.

H

[devonlady]

A few live mealworms give them all the fat they need. My twin runs his car on used cooking oil.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Thanks for the advice I won't put it in

[landroverroy]

 Just seen this PRK, and I would say the opposite!
It's common to give birds added fat in their diet in winter to help them keep warm. I regularly give my poultry the fat from chops and sausages etc that I've grilled. I add it to their mash and they love it.
You're not talking about feeding it all at once (presumably!) in one great globule, and even if you did it wouldn't hurt them. What about all the fat balls that are sold for wild birds?
 

[nutterly_uts]

I'd be a bit leary of fat used for deep fat frying - its cooked to a high temperature which isn't good for a lot of fats. Bits of bacon yes def

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

I was thinking of just adding a little bit at a time into there usual feed not all at once

[shygirl]

we add oil to different species diet if they need to gain weight and are already feeding adlib. oil is a source of A D E K vitamins.

[landroverroy]

I'd be a bit leary of fat used for deep fat frying - its cooked to a high temperature which isn't good for a lot of fats. Bits of bacon yes def

If it's good enough for us to fry our food in, then it's hardly going to harm anything else!

[FiB]

It's a great idea, thanks! I'll be mixing a cupful through a bin of mixed grains next time I empty the chip pan. I am so excited to have rediscovered the joys of the chip pan after many years absence. No more oven chips, ever again :-)

[lord flynn]

is it still illegal to feed chickens kitchen scraps?

[Stereo]

Yes, I believe it is, even pet ones as they still classed as livestock.  Of course, none of us would ever do it so it's not a problem. Unfortunately it's a law designed to protect us from an industrial problem but ends up with a lot of wasted food which would mean healthier hens and better eggs. It's like the cabbage dish we made for Xmas dinner which turned out to be less than inspiring.  I wouldn't have dreamt of giving it a sneaky bung into the chicken run.  I'm sure they wouldn't have liked it anyway.

[lord flynn]

not saying its wrong or right, just sayin' as so many people are not aware.


although I don't actually believe feeding animals (dogs or chooks for that matter) crap from the kitchen (which used fat is IMHO)  is 'better' for them.

[Stereo]

I would agree with that. I suppose, if you were to discuss it theoretically, you might say that you would be better observing the law if you were selling your eggs to others but if you just had a garden flock which provided your own eggs then practically, at least, the potential danger of feeding fresh veg peelings and the odd burger would be limited to your own family. 2 different scenarios but of course, the same law which we all abide by, all of the time.