What Kitchen Scraps I Actually Feed My Light Sussex Hens (Devon, UK)
What Kitchen Scraps I Actually Feed My Light Sussex Hens (Devon, UK)
If you're trying to cut feed costs, you've probably looked at your kitchen scraps and wondered: can my chickens eat this?
I've been keeping Light Sussex and Orpingtons here in Devon for years. And yes, I feed them kitchen scraps. But not the way you'll read on most "complete lists" online.
This isn't a list of everything chickens can possibly eat. It's what I actually feed my flock — and what I've stopped using after wet winters, mould problems, and a few mistakes.
🐔 Quick reality check
✅ Scraps are treats, not the main diet (quality layers pellets first).
✅ Here in Devon, damp winters mean mould is a real problem — I dry bread in the microwave to stop it going off.
⚠️ I limit onion and garlic to once a week — too much can cause anaemia.
❌ Mouldy food never goes to my hens. Compost it first if you want to recycle it.
📋 Check current DEFRA guidance before feeding any kitchen waste to poultry.
How I started feeding scraps (and what went wrong)
One November, I came back from a weekend away to find half a loaf of bread had gone mouldy in the shed. The air was damp — classic Devon autumn. I felt guilty wasting it, so I looked up whether hens could eat mouldy food. They can't. I threw it out.
That week, I started drying stale bread in the microwave. A minute or two on each side, then crushed into crumbs. No mould. Happy hens. Less waste. That small change saved me buying a bag of feed that month.
I've also made mistakes. Once, I gave my hens too much leftover pasta — no oil or salt, just plain pasta. Their droppings went loose and dark within two days, and egg production dropped. Now I know: even safe scraps need balance.
What I actually feed my Devon flock (regularly)
Here's what has worked well for years. No problems, healthy hens, good egg production.
Vegetable peelings and fruit scraps — cabbage, cauliflower leaves, lettuce, cucumber ends, apple cores. Banana peels too, but I soften them in warm water first, or they're too tough. When my local veg box delivered sad-looking greens, I didn't throw them out. The hens got them. They turned waste into eggs.
Cooked plain starches — pasta, rice, potatoes. No salt, no oil, no sauce. I let them cool down first — hot food can burn their crop. Leftover takeaway rice? Only if it's plain. Oily or salty rice goes in the bin, not the coop.
Stale bread (never mouldy) — as I learned the hard way, mould is dangerous. It can cause liver damage. So now I dry stale bread in the microwave and crush it into crumbs. Dry crumbs don't go mouldy. The hens love them, and I've saved a lot of bread from the bin.
Cooked meat and fish (occasionally) — I used to think chickens were vegetarian. Then I gave them leftover meat scraps, and they went wild. Shredded leftover chicken, steak scraps, tinned fish in water — they eat it all. If you're not comfortable feeding meat, skip it. But if you have scraps that would otherwise go to waste, your hens will happily turn them into eggs.
What I limit (once a week max)
Onion, garlic, leeks — I feed these in small amounts, once a week at most, mixed in with other scraps. My hens seem more interested in their feed afterwards, so it may boost appetite. But too much is dangerous. Large amounts can cause anaemia. So treat them as an occasional flavouring, not a daily staple.
What I never feed (and why)
- Mouldy bread or mouldy vegetables — dangerous. Compost it first if you want to recycle it. The hens can eat the worms later.
- Avocado — toxic to chickens. Never.
- Chocolate or sugary foods — bad for digestion, can cause obesity.
- Raw green potato peels — toxic (solanine). Cooked is fine.
- Salty or oily scraps — hens hate oily food, and salt damages their kidneys.
- Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes) — I've never fed them. High acidity can upset digestion.
My feeding routine (how I balance scraps and feed)
Here's what works for my flock:
- Morning (8am): layers pellets or mash — the foundation
- Mid-day (optional): a handful of kitchen scraps scattered in the run
- Late afternoon (an hour before dusk): more pellets, plus sometimes soaked grains (wheat or barley soaked in water for a few hours)
Why not more scraps? Because a hen that fills up on scraps will eat less balanced feed. That means fewer eggs, weaker shells, and poorer health.
I learned this the hard way. One winter, I got carried away with kitchen scraps — lots of pasta, bread crumbs, vegetable peelings. The hens loved it. But their feed consumption dropped, and so did their egg production. Now I stick to the routine above, and it works.
One last trick: soaked grains
Whole grains can be hard for hens to digest. So I soak wheat or barley in water for a few hours before feeding. The grains soften and swell up. My hens eat them faster, waste less, and seem to enjoy them more.
Don't overdo it — too many soaked grains can make their droppings loose (I've made that mistake too). Treat it as a supplement, not the main meal.
The verdict (no middle ground)
Kitchen scraps can save you money and reduce waste. But they're treats, not the main diet.
- Do feed: vegetable peelings, fruit scraps, cooked plain starches, dry bread (not mouldy), cooked meat/fish scraps (if you're comfortable with it)
- Limit: onion, garlic, leeks (once a week max)
- Never feed: mouldy food, avocado, chocolate, raw green potato, salty or oily food, citrus
- Legal note: Check current DEFRA guidance before feeding any kitchen waste to poultry.
If you're ever unsure about a specific scrap, skip it. There are plenty of safe options.
Now go check your scrap bucket. Anything good in there? Your hens are waiting.
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