Can chickens eat meat?

Better not: chickens shouldn’t eat meat. In the UK, raw or cooked meat and fish can never be used as farm animal feed (DEFRA), even for pet hens (APHA). In the EU, Germany’s agriculture ministry (BMLEH) says kitchen and food waste must not be fed to laying hens. UF/IFAS Extension also says to avoid fatty and salty scraps. Colorado State University Extension, on the other hand, lists meat among kitchen scraps chickens will eat.

Good to know: UF/IFAS Extension says heavily salted leftovers should be avoided anyway.

Kitchen scraps: The rules depend on where you live. US extension services allow small amounts of table scraps, no more than 10 percent of the daily diet (Oklahoma State). In the UK, it’s illegal to feed kitchen scraps to chickens, even pet hens (RSPCA, APHA). In the EU, Germany’s agriculture ministry (BMLEH) says kitchen and food waste must not be fed to laying hens.