Chicken’s have a diet? ?
Chickens are actually omnivores
They’re not vegetarians ?
I know in your grocery store you see eggs that are marked vegetarian fed chickens
And I’m not sure why, because they’re not naturally vegetarians
Omnivores means that they eat plants and animals ??
Humans are naturally omnivores (unless they make a personal decision not to be)
So are a lot of animals, including the chickens
Commercial feed actually has bone meal and probably fish meal both in it
Commercial feed is not usually vegetarian ?
If you let chickens run around on their own…
They will go after mice and snakes and bugs and insects and beetles and all kinds of critters
When I’m cleaning in the hen house, and I move a rock, they all run to grab the bugs that are underneath that rock, and that’s a cool treat for them ?
If you’ve got your hens in a run where they don’t get enough of that kind of free protein from bugs
You can get something like Grubblies to give them some extra protein
My flock is in a run, to save them from the coyotes and other predators
They’ve got a sand floor so they get some beetles and bugs in there, but they don’t get a whole lot
So, I give them protein treats to make up for the fact that they can’t run around the whole property and grab what they want
One thing that is not good for a chicken’s diet is dairy protein ?
They are lactose intolerant
So, it’s not good to give them yogurt or cheese or anything dairy
But as far as vegetarian eggs, I don’t know what vegetarian eggs are, ?
Because even commercial feed has bone meal and fish meal
So, I’m not sure how they manage to keep their chickens vegetarian (not eating bugs and insects) to provide vegetarian eggs ?
If you don’t have enough bugs on your property because your hens are always in a run…
Grab some Grubblies!
And give them some extra protein…they love to forage for it, hunt for it
I just scatter it all over the ground and they get real quiet. ?
No talking, just like when you’ve got a bunch of hungry people and you put the food out
And all of a sudden everybody is eating and the talking stops
The hens are the same way
You throw the mealworms out, and there’s no clucking, no noise, no nothing.
It is the quietest flock you’ve ever heard, because they’re all so busy running around foraging, grabbing up all the protein.
Don’t be surprised if you see your flock chasing, catching, and eating insects, rodents, and snakes
Chickens are actually omnivores and love protein treats
I wouldn’t expect your hens to be vegetarians
That’s just not what they do naturally
Remember … Be The Organic U – Feed Your Soul
#BeTheOrganicU #organic #homestead #sustainability #agriculture #coops #farming #gardening #chickens #backyard #eggs #farmlife #homesteading
