Well, let me tell you about the time my buddy Dave and I thought it would be a good idea to feed his chickens the leftover shells and heads from our crawfish boil.
We had piled up a huge mountain of crawfish debris, probably two feet tall and four feet wide – I’m talking hundreds of heads and piles of shells.
We figured it would make the chickens happy.
Man, were we wrong!
As soon as those chickens got a whiff of the towering pile, they flocked faster than seagulls on a French fry.
There must have been over 50 chickens racing across the yard, feathers flying wildly as they flapped their wings in excitement.
They swarmed the mound pecking and scratching manically, trying to get at every last bit.
The answer is a definitive yes – chickens go absolutely berserk for shrimp shells and heads!
The shells give them calcium while the meat provides quality protein to promote egg production.
But wait, it gets better. Or worse, depending how you look at it…
An Explosive Reaction: Mass Pandemonium in the Coop
About 20 minutes after the chickens had consumed the entire mountain of shrimp debris, Dave and I were hanging out in the yard drinking beer when all of sudden we heard a cacophony of loud, thunderous booms coming from the chicken coop.
It sounded like a war zone – repeated explosions ringing out along with distressed clucking and squawking.
We jumped up and raced over to see what was causing such a ruckus. When I flung open the coop door, a wave of noxious odor and chickens blew past us.
It was sheer pandemonium inside! The normally calm and friendly hens were frantically flapping their wings in panic, feathers flying everywhere to avoid the minefield of oozing diarrhea coating nearly every inch of the coop floor, walls, roosts, and nest boxes.
Apparently, the sheer massive quantity of shrimp the chickens had hastily consumed completely overwhelmed their digestive systems.
The result? A coop interior resembling a Jackson Pollock splatter painting, with panicked chickens dodging puddles of poop raining down from above.
As we tried rounding up the freaked-out hens outside, another series of loud explosions echoed from within the coop accompanied by more clucking chaos.
It took nearly five hours for Dave and me to totally dismantle, scrub down with the pressure washer, and disinfect that coop from ceiling to floor multiple times.
We must have hauled seven wheelbarrow loads of shrimp poop-soaked hay to the manure pile. But at least the chickens seemed happy afterward? I guess ignorance is chicken bliss.
Potential Benefits and Precautions When Feeding Prawns to Chickens
Outside of potential gastrointestinal explosions that resemble the aftermath of spicy buffalo wings, feeding shrimp scraps to chickens strategically in moderation definitely has some great benefits like:
- Excellent source of digestible protein full of amino acids to promote egg production – I personally saw at least a 30% increase in our weekly egg harvest after occasional shrimp treat days
- Natural source of calcium and other trace minerals from the shells to strengthen eggshells and bone health
- Astaxanthin carotenoids in the shells bring delightfully dark, vibrant orange egg yolks
- Choline compounds support their liver and brain health, boosting immunity
- Packed with carotenoid antioxidants, B vitamins like B12, zinc, copper, selenium and other key minerals
HOWEVER…here are some keys to safely providing shrimp to chickens without chicken IEDs:
Dangers of Raw Shrimp
Eating raw, undercooked shrimp poses the risk of Salmonella or pathogenic bacteria contamination – not worth the risk! Lightly cook until just opaque and firm. Cool before feeding.
Go Low and Slow at First
To avoid shocking their systems, introduce shrimp components slowly – start with just a handful per bird and gradually increase a bit at a time while assessing reactions.
Rinse Away Seasonings
Clear away any spices, oil, sauce or salt that may be harmful before feeding. Rinse thoroughly after cooling.
So by all means, hook up your feathered egg machines the next time you boil up some shrimp! Just…make sure the chickens don’t go into overload. Moderation is key to keep your coop poop-free!
Best Practices for Safely Feeding Shrimp Products to Chickens
Here’s a quick summary checklist of the optimal way to incorporate shrimp into your flock’s diet:
- Always Cook Thoroughly Beforehand – eliminates harmful bacteria risk
- Rinse Away Any Seasonings – removes spices, oil or salt
- Introduce Gradually – start with a few pieces and slowly increase while assessing reaction
- Scatter Loosely – avoids aggressive pile gorging
- Provide as Occasional Treat – not an everyday mainstay protein source
- Mix With Other Treats – combine shells/heads with veggies, rice, greens
Ensuring shrimp products make up just a small part of their overall balanced diet should lead to glowing health benefits without any messy mishaps! Now you know how to make some happy hens by recycling those leftover crustacean scrapings!
Essential Nutrients Shrimp Provides
Shrimp shells and heads are incredibly nutrient-dense, delivering a powerhouse package of essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids when eaten by chickens. Beyond high-quality protein for egg laying, here are some standout nutrients:
Calcium – Shrimp shells are rich in highly bioavailable calcium carbonate needed for proper eggshell formation and bone strength.
The concentration can be over 10 times higher than chicken feed. Feeding a few shells before or after laying helps produce ultra-strong eggshells and also benefits skeletal structure.
Carotenoids – Astaxanthin and canthaxanthin pigments impart the characteristic reddish hue in shrimp shells and heads. Not only do these antioxidants boost immunity and health in chickens, but they get incorporated directly into yolks for that vibrant orange color consumers love.
Choline – This vitamin-like compound plays crucial roles in key physiological pathways related to brain function, liver health, immunity and nutrient transport.
Shrimp contain plentiful amounts to keep your flock firing on all neurological and biological cylinders.
Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium – These major electrolyte minerals support proper metabolism, hydration, growth and organ function in chickens. Shrimp provide highly absorbable forms they need in balance.
Selenium, Copper, Zinc, Manganese – These trace minerals serve as essential enzyme cofactors and antioxidants to protect health and maintain peak egg production over the long haul. Shrimp meat and shells deliver them in ample amounts.
So for the ultimate ingredients to take your homegrown eggs to the next level – serve up those succulent shrimp remnants!
Avoiding Potential Contaminants
While shrimp scraps can provide tremendous nutrition for backyard chickens, we have to be aware of a few potential problematic compounds we want to avoid exposing the flock to:
Salt – Heavy sodium loads can lead to kidney strain, fluid retention and hypertension. Always rinse excess brining salts or spice rubs off shells before feeding.
Preservatives – Shrimp soaked in sulfite or bisulfite baths can release toxic sulfur dioxide gas when acids interact in the digestive tract. This can be severely harmful. Know your source!
Oils and Sauces – The rich fats and sugars in flavorful marinades, even if delicious, get quickly converted to unwanted body fat and cholesterol in chickens. Thoroughly wipe shells clean of gooey coatings first.
Pesticides – Imported shrimp totally bathed in questionable chemicals have made their way onto dinner tables for years.
But we don’t need that making its way into our homegrown eggs. Always by domestic sustainably-raised shrimp when supplementing feed.
Heavy Metals – Studies have discovered farmed shrimp containing unsafe levels of cadmium, arsenic and lead. These cumulative neurotoxins have no place in our chicken diets. vet your shrimp sources carefully!
Being mindful about where our shrimp is sourced from makes a world of difference in keeping backyard flocks safe, healthy and productive.
Best Shrimp for Feeding
Let’s zero in on two prime shrimp varieties perfect for supplementing chicken feed:
Crawfish – My go-to favorite! These small crustaceans closely related to lobsters have a higher shell-to-meat ratio, delivering abundant bioavailable calcium along with carotenoids. Their petite size also makes them easy for chickens to nibble and digest.
White Shrimp – A great choice as their thin shells break down rapidly to extract minerals, making digestion easier on your flock’s system. An excellent source of protein, omega-3s, B vitamins like B12, zinc and selenium.
Some additional perks of white shrimp:
– Mild flavor beloved by chickens
– Farm raised sustainably in recirculating systems
– No harsh chemical treatments needed
– Readily available fresh or frozen year-round
When sourcing shells/heads for feeding, crawfish and white shrimp really can’t be beat in terms of quality nutrition and bioavailability your chickens will benefit from.
How Much to Feed
Finding that sweet spot between providing enough nutrition from shrimp scraps versus overfeeding to the point of loose stool consequences takes some trial and error. Here are some feeding amount guidelines:
Layers:
– 2-5 crawfish/shrimp per large hen
– 1-3 crawfish/shrimp per bantam
– Fine crushed shells from 5 crawfish
Meat Chickens:
– 3-4 medium shrimp max per bird
– Excess protein causes fat instead of muscle
Chicks Under 16 Weeks:
– Avoid shells, as their digestive system is still developing
– Lightly cooked chopped shrimp instead
Portion out scraps over the flock’s area instead of concentrating piles to prevent gorging. Observe droppings consistently for proper form and adjust quantities accordingly. Consider shells more of a calcium supplement than everyday feed.
Integrating With Existing Diet
The key to utilizing those nutrient-packed shrimp remnants is integrating them as part of a balanced diet including:
Whole Grains – The foundation. Whole corn, wheat, sorghum supply complex carbohydrates for energy and fiber.
Produce Scraps – Fruit/veggie bits provide antioxidants, chlorophyll, enzymes.
Sprouted Seeds – Rich protein source brimming with digestibility.
Legumes – Peas, beans or lentils offer abundant amino acids for growth.
Leafy Greens – Cut grass, spinach, cabbage for vitamins and grazing pleasure.
Insects – Crickets, grubs, worms – the ancestral protein chickens instinctively crave.
Combined with those elements in a species-appropriate diet, supplemental shrimp scraps slot in perfectly to round out nutrition gaps while keeping chickens thriving.
Troubleshooting Tips
If your feathered ladies aren’t taking to shrimp tails, try these troubleshooting tweaks:
Cut Bits Smaller – Break down shells into tiny, chicken-bite sized nibbles easier to nibble.
Mix With Yogurt – Stir in some plain yogurt to help bind scraps into lickable clusters. Provides probiotics too!
Combine With Favorites – Sprinkle shells atop dishes they go bonkers for like corn, rice, sprouts or greens to encourage interest.
Dice the Meat – If shells seem too unfamiliar, dice up unseasoned cooked shrimp meat into teeny pieces they can snatch up.
The wonders of shrimp can do your chickens a whole heap of good – it just may take some coaxing for hesitant hens to discover the joy!
