Gal I know has started raising chickens for eggs for her catering Biz. We talk about it all the time, and I have mentioned a lot of the T-Man Folks raise them too and I will give her bits of wisdom I have gleaned from the site. Once such is how many of you feed scraps to your birds, and she says she keeps her birds Vegan and when she gives them leftover salad, NO dressing, they'll jump on it and scarf down everything else, but, won't eat the lettuce. Is that common? I thought they will eat grass/weeds, bugs and seeds etc. when they forage.
She says they're like puppy's, sit on your lap and cluck and get in your face. Winter's getting close on and we wonder how much cold they can take. I mentioned a light for heat and to extend their laying season, but she wants to give them a rest. She bought a propane heater when they were chicks, but doesn't think they need it now.

What say you all?

They can survive the cold. The roosters with large combs sometimes will loos part of the comb to frostbite though. Give them a coup to help ward off the cold and they will do fine. Water morning and evening as it will freeze without heat.

Hens only, no Roosters! I thought one was required for egg production, but she has plenty without.

I hope she she checked into serving fresh eggs to the public. State of Missouri frowns apon that, I'm not sure with catering and how it works with inspections. If it's anything like restaurants, hospitals she might want to make sure that's legal. I would hate for a small business person trying to make it in the food business get a huge fine for not having legal eggs.

I've had them lose part of combs but just fine with a heat lamp.

My ladies and two gents will eat anything you through over the fence. I gave them two arm loads of turnip tops tonight.

They are basically miniature T-Rex. They will eat anything

Yep, including their own pooh. Mine got strawberries tonight as a treat.

They'll eat the lettuce when it's chopped up a bit instead of leaves. I keep a heat lamp on over the waterer to keep it fluid. It helps, but don't expect it to be totally thawed.
I had the same thought as salemtrapper, legally the eggs may have to be pasteurized.
Keeping birds vegan? Lol. I doubt the birds will follow her directions. The flesh proteins are good for them, and egg production.

Chickens are not herbivores they are omnivores. She's committing animal cruelty if she is not feeding them a proper diet which should include proper protein levels. Commercial feeds are properly formulated.

BTW, if she shorts them protein they'll try to satisfy their needs by eating eggs or each other.

But if she's free ranging them they are eating bugs.

LOL, the Vegan part is her little joke, but she will give them extra eggs scrambled, and they love it. The lettuce is chopped up for salads. She feeds a diet of Purina Chicken Chows, and extra "scratch", Not allowed to free range, Her dogs, and feral cats. She said she checked it out with the county health, and is OK.

I don't raise chickens but would think you could give them deer scraps or am I wrong?

I run a red heat light over the rubber water pan which soos on two concrete blocks

They would eat it.

i use a 55 gallon plastic barrel with nipple waterers on the bottom sides. i put a submersible horse water heater in the barrel to keep it from freezing. i also run a pipe from the downspout into the barrel and another as a overflow. i let the rain keep it full. cheesecloth keeps the bugs and junk out.

No heat in the coop

Just keep the windows closed and run door closed on cold ,windy days.

They just need a place to get out of the wind.

Our coop has a vented roof....so air is circulated up high....that is very important.....fresh air .

Don’t need a Roostah for egg laying...

We run a “ Hot Plate” that the water can sits on...to prevent the water from freezing.

We also have a timer in the coop...so that a light bulb comes on at 3am and shuts off at 8 am

Chickens need 14-16 hours of total light for maximum egg production.

Buy chickens according to your climate....we buy hearty ...cold weather birds up here.

You’d be surprised how much heat those birds give off...in the coop.

They can eat anything....just keep the onions and cabbage away. Meat scraps ...fat...pumpkins...lettuce..

In the cold time of wintah.....we give the birds Black Sunflower seeds coated with Bacon grease...they love that treat...and it gets their engine going in the cold.

We feed our chickens everything- meat bread salad anything that’s food that’s going in the garbage goes to them instead .

the animals here won't eat much of what comes from store they must be spraying something on the food.