f you’re a chicken keeper in the UK and wondering if your flock can feast on a bit of leftover pork, here's the blunt truth: absolutely not. Under UK law, feeding meat (including pork) or any kitchen scraps from a household that handles meat to poultry is strictly prohibited, regardless of whether the pork is raw or cooked. It doesn’t matter how clean your kitchen is or how much your hens beg like feathered Labradors—it's illegal and poses a serious disease risk.

But because chickens have the appetite of tiny, squawking garbage disposals (mine have attempted to eat screws, frogs, and their own eggs), you’re right to wonder what they could eat, and whether pork might be safe elsewhere or in theory. So let's break it down—science, risks, nutrition, and what the law says, all served up Zia-style with a side of sass and caution.

In the UK, DEFRA regulations are clear:

Just because they’ll eat it doesn’t mean they should. Chickens are omnivores, which means they can digest a variety of foods—grains, seeds, bugs, plants, and even small critters. Their bodies need:

• Protein (for egg production, muscle maintenance, and molting)

• Calcium and phosphorus (for strong eggshells)

• Vitamins A, D, E, and B12

• Essential fatty acids

Pork in theory could provide some of these, being rich in protein, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc—but again, that’s irrelevant in a UK context. You legally cannot give it to them.

If we ignore legality for a moment (just for discussion purposes), pork would still raise red flags for backyard chicken keepers.

❌ Raw Pork Risks

• Bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and Clostridium perfringens can thrive in raw pork, potentially harming your flock.

• Trichinella spiralis, a parasitic roundworm, can be present in undercooked pork.

❌ Cooked Pork Concerns

• Even cooked pork is too fatty and salty, especially processed cuts like bacon or sausages.

• High fat = obesity, fatty liver syndrome, and egg-laying issues in chickens.

• Leftover sauces or seasoning often contain onion, garlic, or salt, all of which are toxic to chickens.

Yes! They thrive on protein, especially during molting or cold snaps. Just stick to approved and safe sources.

✅ Legal, Healthy Protein Alternatives for UK Chickens:

• Mealworms (dried or live, but not from your own kitchen waste)

• Commercial insect-based feeds (check for UK approval)

• Grubs like black soldier fly larvae

• Legumes (cooked lentils, chickpeas, beans—but never raw or from a meat-handling kitchen)

• Eggs (from your flock) – scrambled or boiled, with shell. Yes, this is allowed if handled hygienically and not mixed with meat-based scraps.

• Foraged worms and bugs – as long as your garden is pesticide-free

Even in countries where feeding meat is legal, many keepers opt against it for ethical or disease-control reasons. Historically, feeding animal by-products to livestock has led to horrific consequences—remember mad cow disease?That whole fiasco began because ruminants were being fed processed meat and bone meal.

So from a public health perspective, even if pork were legally allowed in the UK, many flock owners would still avoid it.

🛑 Legally? No.
🛑 Safely? Not worth the risk.
🟢 Better options? Plenty.

Instead of feeding pork, invest in legal, clean protein sources that support your chickens' health without breaking the law or risking disease outbreaks.