Kitchen Scraps for Chickens
Letting chickens roam freely around your garden is immensely rewarding, especially when you've rescued commercially bred hens. Watching your flock forage happily and seeing a cockerel patrol the yard brings a unique sense of joy. In addition to their charm, chickens can be very efficient at keeping grass and weeds under control.
However, as a responsible chicken keeper, it's vital to monitor what your flock is eating, particularly during summer when certain garden plants can be toxic. Equally, in winter, when natural forage is scarce, care must be taken in their diet.
Many think of collecting kitchen scraps as an easy, sustainable way to supplement their chickens’ diet, reducing food waste and feed costs. Historically, feeding scraps was common practice, but modern regulations mean the rules have changed, especially in the UK.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) governs what chickens can be fed. These rules apply universally to commercial flocks, backyard poultry, and pet chickens alike and aim to protect flock health and food safety.
In this article, we explore which human foods and kitchen scraps are safe for chickens, what is prohibited, and the reasons behind these regulations. Read on to ensure your feeding practices promote a healthy flock and comply with UK law.
What Should Chickens Eat?
A healthy diet is fundamental to keeping your chickens robust and productive. Commercially formulated feeds such as chicken pellets provide essential protein, vitamins, and minerals tailored to chickens’ age and purpose, whether laying or growing.
Alongside this staple, chickens benefit from fresh greens like cabbage, grass, and safe garden weeds. Treats such as mealworms delight chickens and offer extra protein.
Fresh, clean water must always be available, and providing grit helps their digestion by aiding in grinding food within their gizzard.
Can You Feed Your Chickens Kitchen Scraps?
It may seem natural to offer your hens vegetable peelings or leftover food, but DEFRA's regulations impose strict limits. Legally, feeding kitchen scraps or food waste to chickens is prohibited for flocks of any size that are kept for egg or meat production, including pets.
There is a narrow exception for vegan households who keep no meat or dairy products at all, where purely vegan scraps may be acceptable.
This means that feeding vegetable scraps, meat leftovers, dairy products, or even vegan scraps sourced from commercial kitchens is not allowed. This rule is in place regardless of whether you intend to consume the eggs or sell them.
Why Are These Rules Important?
These feeding restrictions are designed to prevent the spread of disease between poultry and to the human food chain. Feeding uncontrolled scraps can introduce pathogens or toxins that affect the health of both your flock and those consuming their products.
Moreover, many common human foods are unsuitable or dangerous for chickens. Foods like bread contain too much salt, while some garden plants and spoiled foods can be poisonous. Maintaining a clear separation between human food and chicken feed supports optimal nutrition and flock health.
Safe Scraps and Feeding Guidelines
While DEFRA prohibits feeding kitchen scraps in many cases, some small-scale keepers may consider carefully supplementing their birds’ diets under specific circumstances. If done, it should always be occasional and cautious, never replacing a balanced chicken feed.
- Vegetable and fruit scraps such as carrot tops, cucumber peels, and watermelon rind can be given in moderation.
- Chickens are omnivores and may enjoy cooked grains, seeds, and even small amounts of cooked meat or fish, but these are rarely recommended in backyard settings under UK rules.
- Avoid feeding spoiled, mouldy, salty, sugary or processed foods and never feed avocado, raw potato skins, onions, garlic, chocolate, or coffee grounds, which are toxic.
- Always provide fresh water and grit alongside any treats.
Setting a designated container for chicken-safe scraps avoids accidental ingestion of toxic materials.
Promoting Responsible Chicken Keeping
Being a conscientious chicken keeper means adhering to regulations and always prioritising your flock’s welfare. Feeding them an appropriate commercial diet supplemented by leafy greens and safe treats maintains their health, supports egg production, and helps prevent disease.
If you're interested in keeping chickens and want to acquire a flock responsibly, consider buying from reputable chicken breeders or rescue centres. Prioritising ethical acquisition and good husbandry ensures a happy, healthy flock and a positive experience for you as a keeper.
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Kitchen scraps for chickens summary
Feeding human food and kitchen scraps to chickens is a topic that requires careful consideration, particularly in light of UK legal requirements. While it may be tempting to supplement your chickens’ diet with scraps, DEFRA regulations forbid this for most poultry keepers to protect flock and human health.
Ensuring your chickens have a balanced, nutritious diet primarily from commercial feeds, fresh greens, clean water, and grit is the best way to keep them healthy and productive. If offering any kitchen scraps, do so sparingly and with thorough knowledge of safe and unsafe foods.
By following these guidelines and respecting regulations, you’ll help maintain a thriving flock and enjoy the many rewards of chicken keeping responsibly.
What kitchen scraps are safe for chickens?
Chickens are omnivorous and can safely eat a wide range of kitchen scraps, which reduces food waste while providing variety. Safe options include cooked or raw vegetables (leafy greens, carrot, broccoli, peas, sweetcorn), most fruits in moderation (berries, apple without seeds, melon), cooked plain rice and pasta, bread in small quantities, and cooked egg products. Dairy in small amounts — yoghurt, cheese — is generally tolerated. However, some foods are harmful: avocado (particularly the skin and stone, which contain persin), chocolate, onions, garlic in large quantities, raw potato and potato peelings (which contain solanine), rhubarb, and very salty or sugary processed foods should all be avoided. In the UK, it is also illegal to feed kitchen scraps that have come into contact with meat to chickens kept for egg production.
Do backyard chickens need supplements?
Chickens fed a complete layer pellet as their primary diet receive balanced nutrition and generally do not require additional supplements. The main supplement worth providing separately is oyster shell or another soluble grit: laying hens have substantial calcium demands for eggshell production that can exceed what pellets provide, particularly in high-producing breeds. Insoluble grit (such as flint grit) is essential for free-range birds to aid digestion in the gizzard — chickens that forage naturally may source enough from the ground, but housed birds benefit from a dedicated supply. Vitamin D supplementation is occasionally used during short winter days when UV exposure is limited, though this is more relevant for intensively housed flocks than small backyard setups where birds have outdoor access.
What you can safely feed chickens instead
Commercial layers pellets or mash should form the foundation of a laying hen's diet — these are nutritionally balanced and contain the calcium and protein needed for good egg production and feather condition. Alongside the core diet, chickens benefit from access to mixed poultry grit (which aids digestion) and fresh water at all times.
Garden produce that has not been through a domestic kitchen is generally safe: freshly picked leafy greens, courgettes, corn on the cob, and soft fruits are all popular with chickens and provide useful vitamins and enrichment. Dried mealworms are an excellent protein-rich treat, particularly during the moult. Avoid avocado, onions, garlic, raw potato, and anything mouldy — these are genuinely harmful. Providing a varied but controlled diet keeps hens healthy, reduces the risk of obesity, and maintains the quality of their eggs.
