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Hi This is my first post, I am getting 3 rehomed hens in March and as it is about 50 years since I kept hens so am a bit rusty and would like some pointers on what to feed them are you still allowed to feed kitchen scraps.
I have an Egloo ariving tomorrow. I would be gratefull for any advice.

If they are laying chickens, then the best thing is to feed them layers pellets - it makes life much simpler to make sure they are getting everything they need.
According to DEFRA we are not allowed to give chickens kitchen scraps or indeed anything that had entered the kitchen. So you could give them vetetables/weeds from the garden or outside, but you are not allowed to give them any vegetables that have entered the kitchen, as they could have come in contact with other foods - it's all been tightened up since foot and mouth (the original outbreak, not 2007).
I'm lucky that I can just let mine out to wander round the garden eating everything in sight - plants, seedlings, worms, slugs.......
Hope all goes well.
Alexandra.

Hi
Alexandra - I thought the kitchen scraps rule only applied if you sell the eggs? With 3 hens, I doubt Sandygeorge is going to be selling many eggs. Please correct me if I'm wrong as I am not an expert.

Cheers
Zoe

i understood the rule was all chickens.

Sandy - welcome to ish.

Find yourlocal farmers suppliers and have a chat to them about what food are available etc. its worth looking at the ingredients on your feeds.. layers pellets could be made from GM grains, or have added colouring to get that orange yolk. so it's worth paying attention.

Well if the rule is that you can't feed kitchen scraps in the UK anymore then it is a rule that I would say stuff it, especially if you only have 3 chickens.
Our chickens are mainly fed layers pellets but also get kitchen scraps,which I feel is good for them to have as it gives them a varied diet.

What a crazy world we live in. No scraps to chickens! Mmmm. DH is a chef and if in Australia if you bring any scraps home from the workplace it is a $5,000 fine. Expensive chicken feed ha! We used to serve rabbit pie in a cafe we owned and if we used wild rabbit it was a $2,000 fine. A bit of a worry I think. It is a crazy situation with Australia having so many wild rabbits and at that stage they could be sold in butchers but not cafe/restaurants.

mauzi wrote:What a crazy world we live in. No scraps to chickens! Mmmm. DH is a chef and if in Australia if you bring any scraps home from the workplace it is a $5,000 fine. Expensive chicken feed ha! We used to serve rabbit pie in a cafe we owned and if we used wild rabbit it was a $2,000 fine. A bit of a worry I think. It is a crazy situation with Australia having so many wild rabbits and at that stage they could be sold in butchers but not cafe/restaurants.

bloody hell!

Nev

I'm really sorry if I've upset anyone - I too agree that it is infuriating, but I suppose that is the world we live in. I've been trying to find more info on DEFRA's website, but can't find my way about it. I do remember there were posters about it in the vets, and an advert in the Country Smallholding. I think the theory behind it is if there is a risk of the food coming in contact with meat, then you can't feed it to chickens - hence the 'coming into the kitchen' rule - but the rule, as far as I know (please feel free to correct me on this), appears to be a blanket ban.

Alexandra, no one is upset, we just think the rule is crazy if that is the case.

Yes I agree, dont,t worry Alexander, I wasn't upset either, just think it is a crazy rule - like many. It is a good idea for people to know what the rules are - so they can choose to break them or not I have been concerned for some time that many of the hygiene rules have lost practicality and that we are becoming weaker because of this.

sounds to me that we need a few less stupid rules, and a few less stupid people to enforce them.
As for Aus and their rabbit pie, I'm not sure if I'm relieved that we're not the only country on Earth with daft rules, or worried that the daftness is spreading.

Thanks, Alexandra, for telling us the rules. I wasn't aware is was a blanket ban.

Zoe

The kitchen scraps ban only applies to keepers with either more than 50 birds or for licensed birds for commercial purposes i.e. egg selling and meat selling.

It is a recommendation only for all other keepers and cannot be enforced. I rang my vets to double check.

I suppose they can't police it, prove it or prosecute it. Bit like a farmer drinking his own cow's unpasteurised milk. Can't sell it but can consume it.

It's really easy to see where the confusion comes from though.