Fish and Chickens

[Jeffeff95]

Hey everyone!

Quick background story.
I was doing some research on what I can feed my chickens and I ran into an article about feeding them raw fish. After reading a few different articles on it, it seems perfectly safe but for some reason it just seems so weird to me lol.
Here in Manitoba we have suckers that spawn in the ditches during the spring and I always catch a good amount for catfish bait and winter fur trapping. I always have some left overs and it would be a great way to use them.
I am just wondering if anyone has done this with their flock before, thanks!

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Hi Jeff, I hadn't yet but was planning to. My chickens free range and eat frogs, lizards, small snakes, all kinds of kitchen scraps including every type of meat or fish we toss out.

With such a great source for fish, have you thought of tilling some in to your garden? Fish and fish water and fish guts make fantastic fertilizer.

We have a small creek. We're thinking of damming it up, and making a small pond for raising some fish and ducks... someday...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I haven't done it on purpose - but I noticed chickens eating tadpoles out of shallow puddles last year...I guess they like fish!

 

[Jeffeff95]

Hi Jeff, I hadn't yet but was planning to. My chickens free range and eat frogs, lizards, small snakes, all kinds of kitchen scraps including every type of meat or fish we toss out.

With such a great source for fish, have you thought of tilling some in to your garden? Fish and fish water and fish guts make fantastic fertilizer.

We have a small creek. We're thinking of damming it up, and making a small pond for raising some fish and ducks... someday...

Nope can't say I've ever thought of that but thank you for the idea!
Thats a good idea you have about the creek though, what kind of fish do you think you would raise?

 

[Lazy Gardener]

When I was a kid, we'd catch a bucket full of suckers and bring them home. My dad would put a sucker, or part of a sucker in the bottom of every hill of corn. That man was an incredible gardener.

I've not fed raw fish to my birds. No reason not to do so, but I find myself wondering how they do with all those sharp bones. My birds won't even touch a mouse.

 

[Jeffeff95]

When I was a kid, we'd catch a bucket full of suckers and bring them home. My dad would put a sucker, or part of a sucker in the bottom of every hill of corn. That man was an incredible gardener.

I've not fed raw fish to my birds. No reason not to do so, but I find myself wondering how they do with all those sharp bones. My birds won't even touch a mouse.

I also thought of that, it never said anything in the articles I read about the bones.
I was thinking maybe filleting them in a similar way I do for when I cut it for catfish bait, but just double check to make sure there is no bones.
I've done it in the past for my parents dog ranger, he loved fish so I always cut him up 9-10 bags of fish for him.

 

[Chic Rustler]

I read that it makes the eggs taste fishy.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

@Jeffeff95 I live in northern Alabama, so it's have to be something that could handle heat. Probably catfish or tilapia.

 

[CrealCritter]

When we go for all you can eat crab legs, usually a big bunch of us. I bring bags so we can bring chickens and turkeys the leftovers. They peck at the crab leg piles for days I don't see why they wouldn't eat fish, chickens are nothing more than yard vulture hussies.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

When we have shrimp, I save the shells for the birds. I cut them up into a small dice so all the birds get a little. As for fish making eggs taste fishy, I think one would need to experiment to see how much fish is too much fish!