Supplement with kitchen scraps and garden waste

Most kitchen vegetable scraps, fruit peels, and garden trimmings are safe and nutritious chicken food. A household of 4 generates enough daily scraps to offset 10-15% of a small flock's feed bill.

Safe Foods (feed freely)

• Vegetable scraps: leafy greens, squash, cucumber, tomatoes (ripe only), corn cobs, pea pods
• Fruit: watermelon rinds, berries, apple cores (remove seeds), overripe bananas
• Grains: cooked rice, stale bread (in moderation), oatmeal
• Protein: scrambled eggs (excellent calcium recycling), mealworms, meat scraps

Toxic Foods (never feed)

• Raw dried beans (contain phytohaemagglutinin, fatal)
• Avocado skin and pits (persin toxin)
• Chocolate and coffee grounds
• Green potato skins and green tomatoes (solanine)
• Onions in large quantities (causes hemolytic anemia)

Tips

• Chop large scraps into beak-sized pieces for faster consumption
• Remove uneaten scraps by evening to prevent attracting rodents
• Scraps are supplemental only — layer feed must remain the staple diet for proper calcium and protein balance