# are fish guts ok to feed?



## rxkeith (Apr 13, 2009)

the local fish market had smelt for sale so i picked up a few pounds, and thinking waste not, want not, gave the heads, and guts to the chickens to eat. after standing around, and taking a few tentative pecks at the pile, the chickens devoured everything. does anyone see any problem with supplementing their diet on a regular basis with fish guts. i can probably get trout, and white fish stuff from the market. would the quality of the eggs be affected? how often would i want to feed it to them? anything else to be concerned about? parasites would probably be species specific i'm thinking. 
i know i stand the risk of attracting every varmint in the vicinity to the smell of fish, so i would not be leaving any excess fish laying around.



keith


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

I fed copious amounts of fish to my chickens in the day and never experienced any issues whatsoever.

If the fish are locally caught, check with the locals to see if there's any parasite issues because cooking may eliminate some, but you're using it raw for chickens. I never worried.


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## JoshRonin (May 3, 2013)

Sounds good to me. It's a good way to get protein and cut back some waste. From what I've heard, it'll work wonders in your garden as well.


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

Totally on the garden. We used to put a row of rotten stink shad down and let it rot under leaf mulch over the winter when we weren't using that section of garden. Worked wonders. Might attract unwanted wildlife though.


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

Yes, absolutely, but you need to ask what the fish are eating. I know nothing of fish markets, other than wishing I had one nearby. I know some farm raised salmon are given pink dyed food to produce pink flesh.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

fish and other raw meat guts are some of the BEST protien you can give the flock, you would have to feed such a HUGE amount of fishy fish stuff to affect the eggs that its not an issue, their diet would need to be almost compleatly fish and seaweed to get a fishy flavor in the eggs or meat,


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

My birds spend the summer eating Wild Alaskan Salmon guts and heads. I get truck deliveries at least twice a day. The drop site is changed often and it is composted or burned reg. Dried fish skins burn nice.


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## rxkeith (Apr 13, 2009)

thanks for the replies all

the fish are wild caught from lake superior, so thats where they eat. i prefer not to buy farm raised fish. the market is indian owned. they sell what they catch themselves. not a hugh selection, but the fish is fresh, and good.
i will give them a call and see what is available.



keith


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

I fillet my fish, so birds get the rest. I hold them over night in the fridge and they get them at first light.
Remember though Fish will attract ***** and others which will just as happily eat the birds. 
If anythings left at the end of the day remove it away from the birds and let them make a meal of it there (the preds).
I once left some bait blue gill in the back of the truck over night,every where that **** could climb he left his little paw prints, but could not get in the truck bed .
these where fresh caught that night so keep that in mind.


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## SkeeterBlue (Jan 19, 2013)

I would be concerned about parasites feeding raw fish guts to chickens.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

nothing to worry about, if you have seen what else they eat out in the yard, raw fish would be the least of your worrys, raw fish is some of the best protien you can give them


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