[oborne27]

I've read and been told by my local poultry supplier that its a good idea to feed a bit of fish meal or meat to the chooks. I've never heard this before and thought is was illegal due to the salmonella problems. Also been tols not to put out oyster shell as it causes phosphate problems.
Whats people thoughts about ths as I'm in two minds

[ANHBUC]

I hope this quote from the DEFRA website helps.
"The feed ban:
•Prohibits the feeding of most animal proteins to ruminants with a few exceptions, such as milk and milk products and egg and egg products provided these are sourced and used in accordance with the animal by-product regulations.
•Prohibits the feeding of processed animal protein, such as meat and bone meal and gelatine of ruminant origin to farmed animals.
•Restricts a small number of proteins i.e. fishmeal, blood products, dicalcium/ tricalcium phosphate of animal origin and blood meal (to farmed fish only) can be fed to non-ruminants (e.g. pigs and poultry) only."

I have never heard of problems in supplying oyster shell to poultry.

[ehs284]

Sounds very odd advice.
If you want to boost protein naturally then a pound of white maggots from an angling shop will be OK and a nice treat for the chooks. Ours have also had cat food and tinned sardines in bad weather.
The oyster shell comment is interesting and may be due to a confusion because calcium carbonate (oyster shell is almost 100% calcium carbonate) is used as a phosphate binder for some people undergoing kidney dialysis. Not relevant for chooks.

[Sassy]

Feeding fish meal, which commercial farms did years ago, causes the meat to taste fishy