Our chicken book says 'it is illegal to feed your hens kitchen scraps'

[LadyWellian]

Really?

We haven't actually got any chickens yet, but why could we not give them, say, the stalky end off a cauliflower or the unpretty leaves from the outside of a cabbage, or the ends of carrots and so on?

Or does it mean cooked things?

Any ideas?

illegal?

meaning that it is an actual criminal offence and you will be arrested if caught?

Perhaps they mean inadvisable rather than illegal (disclaimer I don't have chickens)

"LadyWellian, I am arresting you on suspicion of feeding a brocolli stem and a manky bit of cabbage" - unlikely I think.

what?
I fed my chickens for years on veg scraps. the minute you put stuff on the compost heap they are there looking for goodies.
They also love tinned sweetcorn and pork pie!
You don't want to put cooked stuff out though, it'll attract rats. My chooks were happy to be hand fed.

I've read something about this but I can't remember the details, it's just if you are doing it on a commercial scale I think. Domestic poultry keepers aren't covered by the EU rules. If you are planning to sell surplus eggs you will need to look up the details but even then I think it's that you have to have strict procedures for separating different types of food rather than not being allowed to feed scraps at all.

try the Omlet forum, I'm sure it's all on there.

I read something similar in last month's 'Your Chickens' mag - on the vitnary's page. I was .

Yes I've heard this so watch out for the 'informant' chicken!

Yes illegal.

Anything prepped in a kitchen.

It's everyone not just commercial

Who watches you feed them

Under what statute??

You're going to have to surreptitiously wander near your coop, whistling, and oh so accidently drop a bit of scraps.
I'm pretty sure you'll get away with it.

Watch out for the google van and/or cctv cameras on top of your coop.
Mr Cameron is watching you.

sorry, you're all right, I've just googled. Definitely illegal.

Seth....am intrigued....post the link !!

ironic really

Haggis its beena few years since I found out so can't remember exactly where I read it (except it was defra)

I cant open this because my laptops odd but I think it may have the info on here

Gosh, thanks for the huge response! Dh has promounced you lot 'quite fun, and useful'

We have a railway line at the end of our garden so perhaps we will need to be extra surreptitious to avoid the gaze of commuting DEFRA officials.

You're going to have to surreptitiously wander near your coop, whistling, and oh so accidently drop a bit of scraps.

Maybe under cover of darkness?

Not planning to sell any eggs. How about if I cut the end off the cauliflower in the garden and then proceed to the kitchen to prepare the rest of it?!

Illegal in the UK or USA? And illegal to feed other meat or veg? To be honest, can't see anyone prosecuted!??

Haggis according to Bronze's leaflet, in the UK and punishable by a fine and up to 2 years in prison!

No distinction between a householder feeding a cauli stalk (that they might have grown themselves) to the couple of chickens in their yard, and a school sending all the school dinner leftovers to farmers for pigswill (which is what they did when I was at school.)

That's crazy. I'm sure ours are only so healthy because of their steady diet of pancakes, sweetcorn and lunchbox leftovers. I don't give them anything meaty though, but that's more to do with my squeemishness than for any other reason.

Ah, but what if you buy (for example) some broccoli specifically for your chickens, then decide that they probably won't eat it all so eat the florets yourself. Surely then you can say you are eating "animal food waste", and not get done by the chicken police.

Clever eh?!

Is it not just if you want to sell the eggs?

Ok, just read the defra guidelines. It includes any pet animal belonging to a farmed species!! I stand corrected, and will take my extensive chicken keeping knowledge back to 'chat'!

So its illegal to feed your chickens kitchen scraps but perfectly ok to keep them in teeny cages and let them eat each other?

Also - if you give them cooked sprouts - it has the same effect as with humans. They look behind themselves with shock - as if it is someone else parping like a wizard.

Or so I have heard - never having given my girls any scraps..

Almighty as long as you give them their share before it enters the kitchen

"Maybe under cover of darkness?"
yep I was thinking it would need to be a bit like Shawshank Redemption: when he's in the prison yard shaking little rocks down his trouser leg.

Every time the police helicopter comes over our house, dh says "quick, it's the chicken police", 'cos we're paranoid that they're coming to spy on our chicken keeping activities

I heard that it was illegal too, but can't see why.