Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[raffik]

Hi

 

Somebody I know feeds her chickens meat- lamb bones and stewed steak etc.

 

I have avoided feeding mine any meat because I assumed they wouldn't be able

to digest meat properly (apart from slugs, snails and worms etc)

 

So, is it Okay to feed my chickens left over meat?

 

Thanks

[Egluntyne]

I'm pretty sure that Defra regs advise against feeding anything that has been prepared in a home kitchen to hens.

 

Quite how they would enforce it in a back yard flock situation is anyones guess.

 

I had a link to some info on the subject but can't seem to find it.

 

If it turns up, I'll post it.

[Old Speckled Hen]

I have just phoned a friend at DEFRA as this topic seems to come up regularly.

 

"The Regulations prohibit the feeding of meat, fish and most other products of animal origin to ruminants, pigs or poultry. They also make it an offence to allow them to have access to such material. They also prohibit any catering waste being fed, whether processed or not. This also includes catering waste from vegetarian restaurants and kitchens."

 

This regulation was never intended for the garden chook keeper so his advice is to ignore it.

UNLESS you keep pigs as well.

[Egluntyne]

Found my link **here**

 

 

See Q 7 for DA's quote.

[chickenanne]

Why should the rules be different for small-scale /backyard chicken keepers? If there is a risk attached to feeding animal products to poultry, then whats the difference if its a flock of 4 or one of 400? I know they are unlikely to be transported as much, but there's at least as much contact with wild birds etc: and they do still get moved around, eg. holidays etc etc.

I don't see how the risk would be different, and therefore why the rules shouldn't apply equally?

 

Admittedly, unlikely to get caught, but that shouldn't matter.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Traditionally, apart from the last laboratory outbreak, Foot and Mouth disease has been brought into this country via animal products.

The rules should indeed be for everybody.

What my friend from DEFRA seems to intimate is that one COULD apply these rules sensibly.

[dancing cloud]

I haven't given my little monsters meat, other than cat food, but Daisy-hen used to eat the mice Loki-cat caught and none of the eggs had ears or tail . Probably best to stick with chicken food.

[Leicester_H]

I"The Regulations prohibit the feeding of meat, fish and most other products of animal origin to ruminants, pigs or poultry.

 

Does this include tinned tuna then (technically) ?

 

H

[Egluntyne]

If you read the answer to Q7 link posted above, we shouldn't even be feeding them anything that has been prepared or cooked in a kitchen where meat has also been prepared and cooked.

 

Unless they are fed only pellets, this would mean little in the way of treats, if you give them, and many don't. No leftover rice, pasta, veg etc.

[Leicester_H]

If you read the answer to Q7 link posted above, we shouldn't even be feeding them anything that has been prepared or cooked in a kitchen where meat has also been prepared and cooked.

I'm lucky - we now have a utility room, where I keep the girls stuff - it has a fridge where we keep drinks/cans etc. So strictly, I'm not preparing any treats in the kitchen !!

Their excess tinned corn is stored in this fridge - so 100% legal !!! ???

 

H

[Egluntyne]

If you read the answer to Q7 link posted above, we shouldn't even be feeding them anything that has been prepared or cooked in a kitchen where meat has also been prepared and cooked.

I'm lucky - we now have a utility room, where I keep the girls stuff - it has a fridge where we keep drinks/cans etc. So strictly, I'm not preparing any treats in the kitchen !!

Their excess tinned corn is stored in this fridge - so 100% legal !!! ???

 

H

 

Now you come to mention it......ditto. Well. not exactly a utiility room, abut a business end of the garage, with all that sort of stuff in it! Could even boil the rice and pasta in there if I had a mind to.

 

Phew....that is a load off my mind.