# Coffee grounds as feed



## FrankRichards (Dec 9, 2004)

We have access to tens of pounds per day of coffee grounds from a local roaster/coffee house. The stuff is nutritious, but it wouldn't do to have them too wired to gain weight.

Does anyone have any experience?


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

In my book, coffee grounds are a no-no and I specifically ask people not to put them in with their pig food along with tea leaves, onion skins, egg shells etc.

I don't know about their nutritional value but doubt that it is any greater for pigs than it is for me - which is zilch.

Pigs have a similar diet to ourselves and my rule of thumb is that if I can't eat it, nor can my pigs. I don't eat coffee grounds, onion skins, egg shells, bones, tea leaves etc. In all honesty I think you could find better things to feed your pigs and use the coffe grounds as mulch or put in the compost heap where they will be quite useful.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## FrankRichards (Dec 9, 2004)

I see where you're coming from. The question is of course unappetizing vs truly inedible.


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

Most of any nutrition has already been leached out so at best it is probably not worth the effort. Just on a "see if they like it" kind of thing, I've put coffee grounds out where my pigs could get to it and they turned their noses up at it. It might work as mulch though.


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

Coffee grounds go in the compost at our house..they are GREAT for your compost pile - so you may want to get them for that.

Not to hijack, but what's the problem with eggshells? I feed them the whole egg - unbroken - is that OK? Just the occasional yard egg.


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## hisenthlay (Feb 23, 2005)

I don't know a thing about pigs, but I'll tell you that my dogs snarf up coffee grounds if they get the chance. I put the grounds out by my rhododendron and blue hydrangeas, and I'll occasionally find a dog hiding behind a bush munching it up as fast as they can. :nono: I don't think it really gets digested, because it makes their stools rather black and grainy :1pig: , but it doesn't seem to make them hyper or do them any harm.


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

Eggshells are good food for pigs and humans alike. God gave us teeth to grind up such healthy dietary items, he gave pigs the same tools.

I don't think coffee will do your pigs any good though.

Pete


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

My pigs eat egg shells (along with eggs) They eat it fine and im sure it adds a bit of calcium to their diet


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## montysky (Aug 21, 2006)

Worms get the coffee grounds.
Chickens get the egg shells.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I don't care what nature or God designed my teeth for but there is nothing I hate worse in my mouth than egg shell, coffee grounds or fish bones. Apart from a little calcium in the egg shell and fish bones, there is not enough dietery use in any of them to make it worth going through the unpleasantness of trying to eat them. I suspect my pigs are of the same opinion. Any egg shell or coffee grounds that do end up in their food are left behind, along with avocado skins and stones, the stones out of stone fruit, onion skins and the skin/fruit of citrus. Interestingly, these are all things that I find unpalatable too! They would eat the citrus fruit if I peeled it. They will eat the egg shell but only if it comes with the egg.

Sorry, but I don't see the point of feeding pigs rubbish that has little nutritional value. Much better that it go into the compost heap where it can be used to grow good stuff both for me and the pigs.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

OK-- I kind of thought that's what you meant - no shells without the eggs. That makes sense to me. Shells from eggs I use go in the compost, but whole eggs go, unbroken, to the piggies - so they get a good nutritious treat with that shell.


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## rj_in_MA (Apr 27, 2004)

Once my pigs got to about 125#, they seemed to seek out anything crunchy in their food - egg shells, dry pasta, even fruit pits. They really seemed to enjoy the crunch. But coffee? That's worm food, in my book.

-rj


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

Ronney said:


> Pigs have a similar diet to ourselves and my rule of thumb is that if I can't eat it, nor can my pigs.


Trust me, I can't eat a mound of freshly extracted deer guts, but my pigs can and do. I'm sure there is loads of nutritional value there, but I'm also sure that if I ate it I would end up sick or dead. My pigs end up big, fat and happy.

There are few grosser things then watching a pig polish off a fresh deer liver.

Pete


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

My blueberries get the coffee grounds - and I have alot more bb bushes than piggies! Don't think I'd feed them to the piggies!


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Ah, but Pete you could eat them. While most of us don't use the gut of venison for much it's mainly because we don't need to, not because it is inedible. We do use a lot of the gut from cattle and sheep and we don't get sick or die. Liver, heart, kidney, tripe, skirt steak, kidney and stomach fat are all edible. The gut is made into sausage skins. It's interesting that on the rare occasion that I give my pigs raw gut, there are bits of it that they won't eat and it rots into the ground. Normally I empty the paunch and cook it and that way the lot gets eaten. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

Another idea for the coffe grounds, if theres a lot of them is to reclaim a clay area into pasture. Till it all in with some sand and plant a covercrop


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## Turkeyfether (Dec 10, 2004)

If a pig finds a rock appetizing, it'll find an eggshell appetizing. It's calcium in his diet. :1pig:


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

So why do mine leave them behind? Mind you, they don't eat rocks either!

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## midkiffsjoy (Sep 29, 2005)

Try saving the coffee grounds to plant mushrooms in!!! We pick up coffee grounds from our local Starbucks just for that!!!


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

midkiffsjoy said:


> Try saving the coffee grounds to plant mushrooms in!!! We pick up coffee grounds from our local Starbucks just for that!!!


what type of mushroom?


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## FrankRichards (Dec 9, 2004)

midkiffsjoy said:


> Try saving the coffee grounds to plant mushrooms in!!! We pick up coffee grounds from our local Starbucks just for that!!!


We tried the "espresso oyster kit" from Fungi Perfecti a few years ago and got nothing. Is there a trick to it?


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## savinggrace (Oct 27, 2005)

hmmm...well I'm not partial to wormy, fallen apples but our pigs sure did love them! Along with overripe produce, an occasional field mouse and freshly dug grubs.....

That being said, I consider all of those as potential food and I don't consider coffee grounds food....coffee grounds have LOADS of other fabulous uses (mainly garden) however!


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