We bought a couple big bags of fish pellets to feed the perch in our pond this past season. I have some left and was wondering if I could "treat" the hens to some of it? I'm pretty sure it's made of dried up fish because it really stinks like fish.
I also wanted to mention that I sucked up a ton of leaves mixed with grass with my lawn tractor and got the bright idea to load up the hen's outside exercise pen with it. They were delighted. The leaves will stay nice and dry in there since there is a large lean-to cover over the pen. I figure it will give them something to scratch around in with winter coming on. I've even thought of begging more leaves and keeping them bagged up on the pole barn porch and this winter toss some into their pen since the ground will be frozen and covered with snow. Come spring I can rake it all out and compost it for my veggie garden.
Question about fish pellets
dried up leaves are excellent, and the chicks love them, One of my friends never buys shavings he just baggs up his and his neighbors dry leaves and uses them through out the year. Excellent idea, but I don't know about the fish pellets. Have fun though. Hay
I use to do that in my pen. it actually composted down so well that I gained 12 inches in beautiful black dirt in the pen within 4 yrs. :) we never raked it out. Threw everything we'd normally compost into teh chicken pen. They did all the work for us.
Thats what I'm going to do with mine this year also greykyttyn, I thought it would be a far better use than justburning them. Hay
Giving chickens fish food is great because it does contain some fish but mostly soy. It is very high in protean and it is hard for chickens to digest high amounts so just give them a little every few days. If given during molt their feathers will be real shiny.