[Kier]

Apart from the commerical fattening pellets what other household scraps are good for fattening the girls and boys before dispatch day??? Was thinking high carb foods such as potatos (boiled/cooked first) etc.
Cheers

[DJ_Chook]

 I would guess any left over food carbs could add weight. I've used a variety of feedstuffs... grower feeds, fatteners & finishing feeds.

I'm forever trying different feeds and methods for meat birds. At the moment I'm experimenting with a 100% mixed grain/freerange diet. Now at 6 weeks they are definitely heavier birds than usual.

[doganjo]

Yes, but is it fat or flesh

[Castle Farm]

A bird destined for the freezer can only achieve the finishing weight that it was bred for and once that weight is reached it puts the rest of the feed into fat around the lower half of the abdomen.
Bred for meat types such as Ross/Cob will go off thier legs if kept on to long.

Pure breeds such as Light Sussex will very rarely get above 5lb dressed, as the best of the strains that were lost to unselective and exibition breeders years ago.

Crosses between Indian Game and any of the heavier breeds would be better, but still a long way behind a Ross/Cob.

It's not what you feed them, it's how they are bred,so trying to get a silk purse out of a sows ear is a waste of money.



This is the result of a Welsh Black x Welsh Black. Dressed out at 8lb+ on a grain diet free-range.

[Hardfeather]

This is the result of a Welsh Black x Welsh Black. Dressed out at 8lb+ on a grain diet free-range.

Do you mean a Welsh Black X Indian Game?

[Castle Farm]

No, it is a WB X WB.
This is a WB X Indian Game.



The WB X WB cock was mated with pure IG and produced him, plus a whole lot of very good pullets.

[egglady]

we have hubbards as meat birds and feed them growers; kibbled maize and left over veg/rice/bread...whatever really.  their meat is delish and they are steady on their legs so i think we are getting it right.  they also free range.

[suziequeue]

Is it OK to include things like leak tops and onion skins in the scarps? Or is it just the blander, more carboy types of things that chickens like?

[kelly58]

Chuckies dont do leeks and onions, at least mine dont   

[Ina]

And don't forget...
 
It is illegal to feed chickens anything that's been in your kitchen! 

[suziequeue]

Yes - it was a purely hypothetical question. I do all my vegetable preparation outside 

[shygirl]

And don't forget...
 
It is illegal to feed chickens anything that's been in your kitchen! 

is that true? i didnt realise that.

+how about adding some vegetable oil to their diet diet.if they are underweight.

[chrismahon]

Off track slightly, but we feed ours a tiny amount of chopped onion weekly to prevent canker, a fungal infection. They love the onion but we have never tried them on leeks. Always worried that strong tasting stuff may affect the egg taste though, but have never got round to experimenting.


Maize puts weight on but it is only fat, not meat.

[suziequeue]

That's interesting Chris. I might add a bit of onion to their mash aswell then.

[Kitchen Cottage]

You can feed domestic chickens leftovers.  They are governed by the Animal Act and there is nothing in there to prevent it.  This would only apply if you sell the eggs

Mine eat all my scraps