The Poultry Keeper

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

I think chickens are natural scavengers - when I put the beef rib out for Shadow the chickens decided to come and see what the fuss was all about too!

After Shadow took most of the meat off I put the remains in the run for them to pick at. They think it's fantastic!

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7145 Location: isle of lewis

they are lovely pic of the dog eatting the beef Wink

but i'm not sure that the chickens should be eatting it Wink

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3204 Location: Monmouthshire

The thought police say no.....but chicken are omniverous and love this sort of thing. If you give them well boiled stock bones - particularly chicke/turkey - there'll be nothing left at all.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

Chickens are naturally omnivorous and in the wild would scavenge carrion - since this meat is from an animal fit for human consumption, I see nothing wrong with the chickens eating from it.

In fact I think this is a better way of getting them added protein than cat food with all it's preservatives and additives.

Petite Holder · Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 88

I agree.... It's also great to see a big dog share with little chickens...in the last photo it was just the chickens..did they shoo him off???

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

Well, she decided that having her feet pecked when they mistook it for meat wasn't so much fun and since she has about 6 HUGE bones dotted around today she went for something a little less trouble!

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7145 Location: isle of lewis

http://forum.rivercottage.net/viewtopic.php?t=30801
didn't say i agreed Wink

looks like things may change
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/may/04/foodtech.food
you carn't really have it both ways Wink

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1312 Location: Manchester

Thanks for the articles, I'm pretty sure that even if the rules are relaxed for most chickens organic chicken would still have to be fed a vegetarian diet. Now while this may seem hypocritical I don't think that factory farmed chickens should be fed on animal remains - my issue with that is the type of animal remains they will be fed - farmed salmon entrails (which have been proved to have high levels of PCB's, dioxines and other POP's (persistant organic pollutants) which are concentrated in the fish meal fed to the salmon, further concentrated within the salmon themselves and then passed on to the poultry and pigs who are fed on their entrails. And then the poultry might be fed on the pigs...

These contaminants cannot be broken down by the body, they are very damaging especially to young children and because they are stored in the fat they get further concentrated in breast milk.

I think feeding pork offcuts to chickens will even further increase this chain and lead to large scale problems in the future. many of these pollutants affect the thyroid system which helps to regulate body temperature, stimulate oxygen uptake in tissue and has a close relationship with many reproductive functions - it's also been shown that PCB's affect brain development, possibly due to the thyroid hormone disrupting properties.

Further reading if anyone is interested
Relationships between PCBs and thyroid hormones and retinol in female and male polar bears.
Publication Date: 01-JUN-04
Publication Title: Environmental Health Perspectives
Format: Online
Authors: Braathen, Marte ; Derocher, Andrew E. ; Wiig, Oystein ; Sormo, Eugen G. ; Lie, Elisabeth ; Skaare, Janneche U. ; Jenssen, Bjorn Munro

Polychlorinated biphenyls as disruptors of thyroid hormone action
Author: R. Zoeller
in: PCBs: Recent Advances in the Environmental Toxicology and Health Effects of PCBs.
Univ. of Kentucky Press, Lexington. P265-272.

Effects of PCB exposure on neuropsychological function in children.
Author: Susan L Schantz, John J Widholm, and Deborah C Rice
From: Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois