Old hop pellets, chicken coop or dumpster?

[bailey mountain brewer]

Yeah, so I've got some old hops that I need to dispose of, not gonna use them, failed the smell test, and need to get them out of the freezer. I've got probably 30ish chickens, these effers eat everything, but I don't want to hurt them. Obviously I'd just mix the pellets in their regular feed at a low percentage. This ok or no? Searches have come up unclear.

 

[day_trippr]

The neighbor's flock to which I contribute my spent mashes have convinced me they will eat anything - including Christmas trees
I have no doubt chickens will eat hops but indeed Googling seems to result in a split decision on the safety thereof.
Rather than take a chance I'd dump them in the trash...

Cheers!

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Yeah I read couple things also, seems they can be good for the chickens as well (not convinced) but obviously being pellets and concentrated form is where I wasn't sure, I just hate throwing things away but seems that may be best. Figured I'd put it out there to see if anyone had experience here.

 

[pvpeacock]

I have read that hops are poisonous for dogs, but I don't know about chickens.

 

[Rish]

@bailey mountain brewer , may be more than you want to read but USDA says hops promote gut health in chickens.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-event...s-extract-may-reduce-clostridium-in-chickens/

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Interesting, I did read a similar article somewhere but it's better coming from the usda. They don't give specific concentrations in that article but they do say that they only used lupalone in the chickens water. Not full hops or pellets, much more controlled amounts but it did promote decent results. Maybe I'll play around with it. Doesn't seem like it will kill them from anything I've read, obviously it will be a very small amount mixed in their feed. We'll see.

 

[AzOr]

More importantly- will it make your scrambled eggs taste bitter and hoppy?

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

That's exactly what I said to my wife haha.

 

[MaxStout]

 

[redrocker652002]

If it were me, I'd toss them. No need to even take a chance, but that is just me. And trust me, I don't throw anything away unless I have to or the wife says it has to go. LOL.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Because I don't like the chickens, errrr, I can't say that.. um yeah but they might like the hops and it could improve their gut health. So it's just as likely to improve their health then it is to damage it. There is no proof or documentation that hops are poisonous to chickens, so I think I'll give it a go, again in small amounts. If anything changes with their health, good or bad or no change, I'll know then.

 

[MaxStout]

Throw them in your compost.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Throw them in your compost.

The dead chickens? That will attract predators.. probably just put the hops in the garden and till them into the soil.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

So, small amounts of hop pellets in chicken feed has had no ill effect. I'm not being scientific with this, literally a handful of hop pellets in a bin of feed, bin ill say holds 5lbs, they go through 1 bin per day or 2 and I'm not adding the pellets in every bin of feed. Maybe once or twice a week. Being its winter they typically don't lay as many eggs, but this is from the past 3 days, I think the chickens are OK.

 

[redrocker652002]

LOL. Nobody has asked so I am going to. Do the green eggs have a hop taste to them?

"I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I Am." LOL

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Just had a couple green ones this morning, unfortunately no hop flavor.