It is NOT illegal to feed chickens on kitchen scraps, i.e. veg trimmings, leftover bread, fruit peel etc (they don't like onions or uncooked spud or citrus). I have a smallholding and have fed my chickens on scraps for years. What DEFRA are saying, and quite rightly so, is that farm animals should not be fed on what we used to call "swill" that we gave to pigs especially, because of the risk if transmitting disease. Pigs especially must not be fed anything that has traces of meat in it and they must not have access to any compost heaps or muck heaps. As far as chickens are concerned, you are fine to feed vegetable or fruit scraps (cook your potato peelings first) or old bread, cakes etc., but don't give any meat or meat derivatives. Having said that, you should make up their main diet with layers' pellets and mixed poultry corn, with some grit to help digestion and the formation of the egg shells. You can't keep any livestock on a budget so if you can't afford to buy proper chicken feed, don't bother.