Chickens as waste management tools

[ORChick]

I'm not sure if this should go in "Trash to Treasure - recycling" or "Resource conservation", so I decided to stick it in here. In light of the number of communities in the US that don't allow a few household chickens, I find this an interesting article. Perhaps those wishing to have chickens, but can't, should send it to their town councils. (After the article is a link to another one about a town in Belgium doing the same thing)

French village to hand out chickens to cut waste -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17540287

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Interesting story. Thank you for linking it here, ORChick.

I have noted that it is wonderful to have chickens when you also have a toddler in the house. If my son is picky about what I serve him, I can give the wasted food to the chickens and not feel the guilt I would feel about tossing the wasted food in the trash (not all of it would be safely compostable). Plus, if my son throws food on the floor, I ask him to pick it up after the meal and put it into the chicken bowl. He enjoys helping me with this. I am so glad that we have chickens. The next best thing would be a worm bin.

 

[terri9630]

It's been great having chickens. I haven't had to clean the horse pens in 4 years. As soon as one of them goes poo the chickens are right in it. They dig through it looking for I don't want to know what and spread it so thin it dries up and blows away with the next breeze. On the other hand I don't have it for compost, but I'll buy compost if it means no flies.

 

[Cindlady2]

LOL terri! I can just picture you fighting off the chickens for the horse poo so you can put it on your flowers!

Chickens can clean up scraps and leftovers quite nicely. However I hope they teach these people what they CAN'T have too!

 

[Denim Deb]

OK, either I have too many horses or not enough chickens! I still have to clean poo everyday.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Back in the very early 80s I read an article in Organic Gardening about ...chickens being 'fine feathered composters.' and it stuck with me over the years. There is not much they can't turn into soil. I can almost bring my garbage to them and then pick through what I know won't decompose to reduce it, cuz they will scratch and turn all day. Even if its not food, they can play with the paper goods and make it soil and poop on it. Not that I want my coop to look like a dump, but its a thought.

 

[so lucky]

Interesting story. Thank you for linking it here, ORChick.

I have noted that it is wonderful to have chickens when you also have a toddler in the house. If my son is picky about what I serve him, I can give the wasted food to the chickens and not feel the guilt I would feel about tossing the wasted food in the trash (not all of it would be safely compostable). Plus, if my son throws food on the floor, I ask him to pick it up after the meal and put it into the chicken bowl. He enjoys helping me with this. I am so glad that we have chickens. The next best thing would be a worm bin.

You could have both. The chickens could eat the excess worms if you get too many. Actually, I like my chickens better than my worms. Besides the "egg bonus," the worms don't come to me and jump on my lap when I call them.

 

[Wannabefree]

Good point about the composting abilities of chickens. I enjoyed the short article Thanks for posting it!

 

[ORChick]

LOL terri! I can just picture you fighting off the chickens for the horse poo so you can put it on your flowers!

Chickens can clean up scraps and leftovers quite nicely. However I hope they teach these people what they CAN'T have too!

It wasn't mentioned in the article about the French village, but the other one about the Belgian village (link at the bottom of the article) does mention that those who receive chickens also get lessons on how to keep them properly.
I think it is really neat that these places are actively encouraging people to have chickens, instead of the active discouragement that is often the case.

 

[terri9630]

OK, either I have too many horses or not enough chickens! I still have to clean poo everyday.

A ratio of 18 to 4 works quite well. Of course being in the desert probably helps quite a bit. Not much in the way of greens or bugs to eat. If I could only convince them that mice are really delicious.......