No kitchen scraps?

[pdblake]

Just came across this on a forum:

What can't hens eat?

It seems to be suggesting that there is a law preventing the feeding of kitchen scraps to chickens Is there any truth in this?

[Hilary B]

Just came across this on a forum:

What can't hens eat?

It seems to be suggesting that there is a law preventing the feeding of kitchen scraps to chickens Is there any truth in this?

Yes it's true. Quite a lot of small scale chook keepers quietly ignore it, but if you sell eggs, and someone becomes ill, you could be in big trouble if you have been ignoring the rules. Strictly speaking eggs (in any form) are also banned.

I believe that the suggestion of 'dead rabbit as long as it hasn't been in a kitchen' is actually wrong, but if they happen to find one when free ranging, I don't know what the law can do about it....

[MaureenHall]

Yes it's true - but who's to know if you don't tell them! I used to cook rice, pasta, potatoes, veggies "for the chooks" and have the leftovers for me

[OverWyreGrower]

I was under the impression that it was only if your chicken was entering the food chain in a edible way (the same as pigs etc)...

And that if your chicken and/or it's eggs were for your consumption, then it was fine...

However, I may be (and usually am) wrong!

[shirlthegirl43]

I sell eggs to two friends. I advise them that the hens get table scraps as part of their diet. I don't feed meat scraps to the hens though.

[pdblake]

So, making them porridge is illegal then?

Well, I haven't had any eggs yet and when I do they'll only be for me, so I think I'll join the quietly ignoring crowd.

[MaureenHall]

So, making them porridge is illegal then?

In theory, yes it is, that's why it's so stupid (in my opinion anyway)

[Suechooks]

I read this somewhere else and it seemed to be directed at commercial keepers and apply to catering establishments. As long as you sell your eggs "at the gate" and to friends and family I think you are exempt from the commercial side. My ex-batts send their egg money back to the charity who rescued them so it's a donation in exchange for eggs.

[lynda66]

mine would starve if i didn't feed them lefto ... erm things i've carefully prepared in the kitchen for my chooks ... and erm their food is in my kitchen cupboard with the other pet food ... does that mean i can't pour it into a bowl in there either

[Glutton4...]

... and erm their food is in my kitchen cupboard with the other pet food ... does that mean i can't pour it into a bowl in there either

Technically yes! Bladdy daft innit?

[pdblake]

So, technically I could call my kitchen a chicken food preperation area that is only used to prepare chicken food. Thereby feeding the chickens all the peelings and what not, obviously specially prepared for them, and then giving myself the leftover roast beef, veg, stuffing, gravy and Yorkshire puds?

I can always claim it's legally within the rules, I'm very sorry for following such rules, blame everyone else and offer to give back the string from the brisket.

Would that work?

[Flummery]

Mad eh - on this sort of scale. However, when you get foot and mouth from people feeding foreign ham on a leftover sandwich to a pig then it's serious. I give mine fresh green veg and occasionally the cooked stalks from chard. There are never off-the-plate leftovers in this house. We eat it all up!

[lynda66]

but they really like pizza and peanut butter on toast not really leftovers just extra i couldn't eat

[blackkitty]

A lot of restaurants and food places used to keep scraps for pigs and chickens, but it was made illegal after the big foot and mouth 'crisis' and I think the new laws were never intended to affect small keepers with a few chooks in the back garden but as so often with legislation it catches everyone. I should think the courts and the government have more pressing worries than anyone giving the chooks their leftover salad. Unless of course the salad was part of their £400 a week trough allowance.

[Hilary B]

A lot of restaurants and food places used to keep scraps for pigs and chickens, but it was made illegal after the big foot and mouth 'crisis' and I think the new laws were never intended to affect small keepers with a few chooks in the back garden but as so often with legislation it catches everyone. I should think the courts and the government have more pressing worries than anyone giving the chooks their leftover salad. Unless of course the salad was part of their £400 a week trough allowance.

Rather longer ago scrap food was the normal basic feed for pigs, and an important part of the diet of chickens, but that was before the days of industrial-scale farming.
The rules were certainly made with the big farms in mind, but they DO apply to ALL livestock keepers, even those few folk who keep retired chooks and don't want or expect eggs.
Of course the 'reason' for the rules is that it is theoretically possible for ANY 'kitchen scraps' to have come into contact with meat (including bird-meat) or eggs (but they make no exemption for scraps from a vegan kitchen).