Lots of chicken farmers give walnuts to their chicken and they love them to eat. I’ve heard that they avoid things which are naturally bad for them, and we don’t really test that, but I believe it. Just don’t feed them raw lentils! To answer the question yes chickens can eat mushrooms as long as they are not poisonous and they do not eat a lot of them as it could give them an upset stomach. , I hang a cabbage or a head of lettuce from the ceilingin their run ( which is 20’x20′). We do have to warn you though, the following items are ones to keep out of the coop. But I’m not exactly going out there and feeding it to them either. What Not to Feed Chickens From the Garden: Please show me the valid research on this. The fruit is ok on all of them, but all other parts of the plant are poisonous. Nightshade leaves are poisonous for chickens, too. What NOT to feed chickens So next time you’re asking yourself what do chickens eat, and working out what food to put in the compost heap or the chicken’s scrap tin, use this chicken treat chart to put your mind at ease. In fact, there are at least 33 foods chickens shouldn’t eat. Can Chickens Eat Mushrooms? Use your best judgement when feeding your chickens and you’ll be sure to raise a happy, healthy flock. Knowing what to feed chickens is important for maintaining a healthy backyard flock. Remember that scratch grains should be viewed as a treat and not be mixed with the complete feed. Remember that scratch grains should be viewed as a treat and not be mixed with the complete feed. Copyright © 2020 Backyard Chicken Project. Can chickens eat lentils? Whether eaten in large quantities or in small quantities it’s very dangerous to the kitchen. They’re searching for food and may have found it within your chickens… Hens digestive systems are able to handle rhubarb, I’ve known this for a long time and my hens eat it and nothing happens to them. Many types of uncooked beans will kill your birds. Chickens should not eat chocolate, in the same way that it is going to be poisonous to most other animals the chocolate is bad for chickens. 3 times a week is fine. Remember that scratch grains should be viewed as a treat and not be mixed with the complete feed. They don’t generally even eat the chickens; instead, they kill and leave them in the coop. Be careful to make sure not to leave any pellets or feed out overnight because this will attract pests such as mice. Good article but actually fresh beans from the garden are fine. I’ll edit that right now. Other Veggies Your Chickens Can Eat: Sunflower seeds; Yogurt; Walnuts; Almonds; Chia seeds; Peanut butter; Peanut shells; Fish; Ham; Pasta; Foods your Chickens Should NOT Eat. We’ve had some chickens that wouldn’t eat greens, or wouldn’t eat sunflower seeds, and things like that. Nightshade leaves are poisonous for chickens. So, can chickens eat cantaloupe? Chickens love the leaves of squashes, which includes pumpkins. Some of these foods are straight up poisonous, and some your chickens will just scoff at. According to Wikipedia, lentils shouldn’t be eaten raw. Corn can be fattening when fed in large amounts. Do you want to know more about what CHICKENS EAT? I enjoy your articles very interesting and helpful. These feeds are specially formulated for chicks and juvenile birds, respectively, and packed with the nutrients birds need at this stage of their growth. If birds free-range or have treat access, start by feeding their complete feed in the morning before they go out exploring. They are so good as bug eaters too. Not a huge favorite: Watermelon: Served cold, it can keep chickens cool and hydrated during hot summers. Chickens cannot eat the plant, leaves or flowers they are poisonous as they contain solanine. Besides those picky eaters, there isn’t much a chicken won’t eat. I’m so glad to see you have avocados on this list. When deciding what chickens should not eat, we tend to fall somewhere in the middle. There are many wild and ornamental plants that are not safe for chickens to eat, but that doesn’t mean you have to either choose having these plants in your yard or keeping chickens. It is interesting to note that a chicken will figure out pretty quick what they will and won’t eat….. Citrus can dissolve the calcium that makes up the egg shell. Besides those picky eaters, there isn’t much a chicken won’t eat. Even the peels of potatoes are potentially harmful and should be avoided. Here is a list of what not to feed your chickens: 1. The leaves of the plant are particularly laden with solanine and should never be given to chickens. Dark leafy greens can result in darker, richer yolks. thank you to the author and the other contributors for the information, Not so sure about the Oak leaves. A good treat, helps hens lay eggs and grow healthy feathers. Can chickens eat mushrooms? I’ve never read anything bad about giving papaya to chickens, but I’m not 100% on that one. Fortunately, chickens are not very picky. Never, ever allow your chickens to eat dried or raw beans. My chickens might not eat my Irises but I keep having to bury the rhizomes because they dig them up! Poisoning can occur whether the chickens eat small amounts over a long period of time or a lot of onions at once. Chickens can eat pretty much anything…and everything! Either way, avoid feeding these foods to your chickens. 10 Foods Your Chickens Should Avoid Plants from the nightshade family – Nightshade plants such as potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants have a toxic substance in their unripened fruit and leaves called solanine that could be harmful to your flock. Pickles; Rhubarb; Moldy bread; Peanuts; Eggplant; Avocado; Chocolate; Onions; Choosing Foods That Are Good For Your Chickens Each chicken can easily eat 4-5 oz of potatoes a day and this makes a cheaper alternative to the bran and corn chops. Nothing moldy, although overripe fruits, wilted veggies and stale cereal or bread products are fine. However, if they eat excessive amounts, you may discover that your chickens develop thyroid issues. There are hundreds of foods that you can feed to your chickens and some that you absolutely want to avoid. I’m thinking about getting Chickens this spring, how long do regular laying chickens live? When feeding store-bought mushrooms to your chickens, just dice them up to bite-sized pieces and cook them up so that become softened. Did you just forget? It may be tempting to give your chickens every bit of scrap to come out of your garden, but slow your roll for just a moment. For a dramatically different climate, consider looking into … Do NOT feed your chickens: Raw potato peel (while these aren’t necessarily toxic raw or cooked, any green parts of potatoes can be dangerous to chickens, just as they are to humans) Green tomatoes Dried or undercooked beans Avocado skin or pit Raw eggs (encourages them to eat their own eggs) Sugary stuff Butter (too fatty) Your email address will not be published. Are store bought mushrooms OK for them to eat, and what about green or red peppers, and the seeds, We have fed the birds store bought mushrooms without a problem, as well as peppers, although they aren’t big fans of either! + Watermelon Treat Ideas; Turkeys in Winter - What They Eat and Where They Live; Chickens Are Not Dinosaurs or Reptiles - Science… April Lee. Rhubarb is also fine. Yes, chickens can eat lentils. Now, let me preface this by saying I’m not a chicken expert, just someone who loves to share my love of chickens with the world. No marks of any kinds, nothing had changed besides giving them those avocado pits. I was heartbroken and always warn anyone who gets chickens! Rhubarb is a type of plant that contains oxalic acid which can easily lead to calcium deficiency. Kidney beans are the worst culprit, but any bean which has not been properly cooked is potentially lethal for your chickens. Keep it up! We’ve even written a post on 100 things you can feed your chickens including lots of goodies from the kitchen. That’s amazing! I keep a bucket right on my kitchen counter and continually toss scraps in it while I’m cooking. Also can they eat it raw? Sorry. Also watermelon? However, I have never experienced this nor have my fellow chicken friends that share cabbage with their flocks. There are many different types of chicken feeds available. I can’t say enough good things about chickens! It’s a perfect supplement during the winter when grass is not available. Wild animals – like foxes, coyotes, and hawks – are natural predators that can kill your chickens. Chickens will of course scratch around and eat many plants in the garden, including tender vegetable and fruit crops that you have to fence off. Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. “Chickens are natural foragers, so trying new foods is inevitable,” Biggs says. Hot chilies or Hot Peppers Thank you so much for all the information. Can chickens eat pumpkin? Eggplant in its raw form, along with the leaves, is unsafe for chickens to eat. They are beautiful, attract pollinators and can be an excellent source of nutrition for your chickens. So much so that they tend to eat even the seeds and rind too. Can chickens eat pumpkin leaves? Although uncooked rice is not such a problem for chickens in terms of toxins, the problem can be that chickens may eat too much rice in its dried form, which can be difficult for them to digest. Avocado (controversial, certainly avoid the skin and pit), Toads (a weird one, I know, but chickens can die from eating those cute little tiny toads). To give you a better idea of some of the foods that you should never give your chickens, however, please read the following: Processed foods – Keep junk food to yourself. It's the only thing planted besides grass in their part of the pasture and i keep having to re bury them! Tomatoes: Raw and cooked.. Turnips: Cooked. Chickens didn't eat feed until modern times, no need to start. Most of the things in your kitchen are fine to feed to chickens in moderation. If your chickens do not eat the mushrooms, then don’t fret. What A Chicken CAN Eat. ... Also, my chickens LOVE to eat tomato leaves. Never saw one really even peck at at acorn or leave in curiosity (which they do to almost everything else they encounter). 1 – It can encourage the chickens to seek out and eat their own eggs. I’m just wondering if it’s ok to give . Cheese. Wild chickens will never have seen a pelleted feed and it is not in a chickens instinct to eat pellets, they prefer insects, sprouts , seeds and small mammals. If you free range your flock, they have the opportunity to eat those plants. I know it can be nerve wracking to figure out what not to feed to chickens when you first start raising them. Jun 18, 2020 - Discover What Foods Are Good For Your Chickens, And Which Foods To Keep Away. They can be so funny, and more like pets than farm animals. If you’re looking to put some plants in your garden that the chickens won’t touch, have a look at this list: These plants are what we’ve found (from experience) that … If you expect your chickens to eat them they need to be soft and cooked. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The full list is … Be sure to do your best to keep chickens out of the garden and avoid giving them the items on this list. Do not feed your chickens chocolate. If you put too many pellets in their feeder they simply won’t eat them. We’ve had some chickens that wouldn’t eat greens, or wouldn’t eat sunflower seeds, and things like that. However our chickens can be depended upon to eat pretty much everything–especially veggie trimmings or leftover dairy items (like wheyor yogurt), which is fabulous considering it cuts down on the chicken feed bill. We have 5 papaya trees in our backyard and each time an overripe one falls, all the chickens run to it and gorge from skin to seeds. Not a huge favorite: Watermelon: Served cold, it can keep chickens cool and hydrated during hot summers. Yes, chickens can eat lentils. Our chickens eat a ton of the vegetation on our property but they naturally don’t touch the things on this list, or if they do it’s a tasting nibble then never again. Now every now and then, you’ll run into the exception. What a terrible shock that must have been. Chickens will of course scratch around and eat many plants in the garden, including tender vegetable and fruit crops that you have to fence off. morsekathan; Sep 5, 2012; Mine don't like mint and really anything that has fuzzy leaves. Required fields are marked *. Here are some foods to keep away from chickens. They do not however eat the same diet that their ancestors did or that truly free-range chickens would do. All of those foods noted above are CHICKEN FOOD. I’ve kept chickens for over 40 yrs., and have always loved them! (: Oh I’m so sorry to hear about your lovely birds! However, potatoes should not be given too often as too much starch is not good for them. It may sound like a great idea based on human experience, but chickens are not humans! Here’s where things get a little tricky. Hahah, The peppers are okay just not the leaves mushrooms idk. However, they cannot eat green raw potatoes because they contain solanine, which is extremely deadly to chickens. Can Turkeys Eat Watermelons? Yes. A Comprehensive List Of Both Are Included In The Article. October 21, 2012 at 4:42 pm . Some people food that is healthy for us is dangerous food for chickens. Every rat or mouse has the potential to transmit these diseases and not every chicken or every human will catch them. Raw potato peels, especially green ones, can contain a toxic substance called solanine. With that said you need to avoid giving your chickens onions. I hope you and your chickies are doing well! As with other legumes, they need to be cooked or sprouted before giving them to chickens. The Cantaloupe is absolutely safe for consumption by the chickens. What not to feed your chickens. I guess I will have to move them when it cools off! Our goats are rather picky, and they only like choice items such as watermelon rind or cornstalks. Our chickens have tasted the tomato leaves with no ill effects, but we’ve heard of other people’s chickens getting sick and dying from eating tomato leaves. They’re the rare case. Chickens have to learn to eat pellets and they are the first thing they stop eating when they have the choice or you give too much scratch feed or treats. 2 – Chickens can carry salmonella, raw eggs from contaminated chickens will spread the disease amongst your flock. Potatoes with green skin can make your chickens sick and even kill them. A good treat, helps hens lay eggs and grow healthy feathers. It isn’t easy to peck at. Yellow squash not a huge favorite, but okay to feed. If you have chickens, you probably enjoy feeding them random food in the chicken pen, and observe what they will and won’t eat. • Echinacea - My chickens absolutely love … I am currently working on designing a custom built farmhouse from the ground up. In my experience, just like ducks and other birds, chickens … Unfortunately, when I was about 16 I went through a huge avocado phase, and one day decided that attempting to sprout the pits wasn’t worth it anymore, so i tossed about 8 pits into the pen. Some of the foods on this list may not outright kill your chickens, but have been known to cause internal issues and are best avoided all together. What Can Chickens Eat? Weasels are crazy like this; if they are really hungry, they will feast. Dried beans are known to create very serious illness and even death in adult humans. You likely have plenty of wild and cultivated plants growing on your property. If birds free-range or have treat access, start by feeding their complete feed in the morning before they go out exploring. They are alive and growing beyond belief. Like playing classical music? Fodder can be rich in vitamins and minerals, and provide greens to feed chickens. Our oldest hens right now are 8 years, and we’ve heard of 12 year old chickens too! There are a few plants/foods you’ll want to avoid growing for your chickens. Haha) I’ve had clementines and my girls have snatched pieces from my hands, and seemed to do just fine with it. “Chickens tend to avoid foods that are bad or harmful for them, but some are healthier than others.” When it comes to foraging, there is a lengthy list of plants that chickens love as treats. What not to Feed Chickens. What can chickens eat? Things Chickens Can Eat Standard Chicken Feeds. Sunflower Seeds: Sunflower seeds in the shell are fine to feed, as well as shelled. Yes, your chickens can eat cheese but in moderation. We hope you’ll stick around! Yes, chickens love eating cantaloupe. Most people are surprised to see how chickens can eat almost all of the kitchen scraps that we collect for them – and how much they seem to love them! if cherries are ok, but fruit pits not,,, am I supposed to pit the cherries before I feed them? Leaves from plants in the nightshade family are poisonous to chickens. If you don’t want to take the risk, or if you don’t believe your chickens will be able to discern what’s good from bad in the yard, you may have to either keep them contained or consider removing the following plants from your property. What can chickens eat? hundreds of foods that you can feed to your chickens, written a post on 100 things you can feed your chickens. No chocolate, no caffeine, and no tea bags. However our chickens can be depended upon to eat pretty much everything–especially veggie trimmings or leftover dairy items (like whey or yogurt), which is fabulous considering it cuts down on the chicken feed bill. Learn how your comment data is processed. Not sure why it’s controversial, I guess I’m out of the chicken loop lol! Can Chickens Eat Lentils? Thank you so much for clearing that up, Lisa! Rhubarb. Usually 4-7 years, but chickens have been known to live much longer with excellent care! 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Like other beans, they contain toxins when raw. What NOT to feed chickens So next time you’re asking yourself what do chickens eat, and working out what food to put in the compost heap or the chicken’s scrap tin, use this chicken treat chart to put your mind at ease. It’s a nice treat and can encourage your birds to get more exercise, but your birds won’t be healthy if all they eat is scratch. What Kills Chickens. Here is a list of plants from my garden (USDA zone 9 - 10/ Sunset zone 22) that I have had success with my chickens leaving alone. They sure can. Here are a few that you’ll see at most farm stores. With that said you need to avoid giving your chickens onions. Your email address will not be published. Chickens have to learn to eat pellets and they are the first thing they stop eating when they have the … Many will give their chickens kitchen scraps as a way to supplement their diets, which can help … I’ve never commented on a blog before so I’m not sure how to end the comment, but I’ve been browsing your blog for a bit now and I love your posts! Learn More Here. Chickens can’t digest everything that humans can, so leave these scraps for the rubbish bin or compost heap. Chickens can tolerate up to 0.25% salt in drinking water but are susceptible to salt poisoning when water intake is restricted. Apples. Gardening with chickens can be a pleasure as well as a frustration and challenge. If you grow pumpkins at home, you may already know the answer to this question. So, if you see a dead chicken in your coop that is fully intact but dead, these critters are the culprits. And they were just fine!!! Poisoning can occur whether the chickens eat small amounts over a long period of time or a lot of onions at once. So, Can Chickens Eat Chocolate? Leaves from plants in the nightshade family are poisonous to chickens. Be sure to do your best to keep chickens out of the garden and avoid giving them the items on this list. Here in the UK feeding hens anything from your kitchen has become controversial. Now every now and then, you’ll run into the exception. 2 – Chickens can carry salmonella, raw eggs from contaminated chickens will spread the disease amongst your flock. The next morning when I went out to feed, every single one of my flock was laying there dead. There are many sides to this issue, some people feed their chickens absolutely everything and leave it up to the chickens to decide what’s best for them. Do you have a secret about that? Our property has lots of wild mushrooms, rhubarb, beans, ferns, shrubbery and trees galore. A good rule of thumb when feeding your chickens is to think to yourself, “is this a good, healthy food for people to eat?” If it is, then it’s probably okay to feed to your chickens, of course with some exceptions. it takes 6 chickens about two days to thoroughly devour them. You can give them lettuce in small amounts, but be mindful it may lead to upset stomachs if you feed them too much. Chickens can easily get digestive issues if they eat too many mushrooms so be careful how many they eat. My girls are incredibly spoiled and as a rule of thumb, if I go out to see them, I have to bring treats (because they will take your food! Categories Chickens Tags Chickens. Oops, I meant nightshade leaves are poisonous for PEOPLE. Reply. They’re the rare case. Chickens can eat bread, the crusts, scraps, and all kinds of loaves and types of bread, yes.. Yes, chickens can eat walnuts. Sometimes the best way to find what your chickens CAN eat is to find out what your chickens CANNOT eat. A hen's diet is surprisingly varied since they eat everything from cereals to small rodents. That includes white potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. I think it’s just a ploy to keep animal feed producers rich! I just started raising chicken again and most of this i forgot. Even after they cease to lay, they live in retirement here, until their natural life is over. Chickens are natural foragers, so trying new foods is inevitable. Crickets: Yes. Most chickens do not like the rubbery texture of the mushrooms. 6. In short, no. Chickens can suffer from salt poisoning since salt is generally not a normal part of their diet. Oak leaves in small amounts are probably not harmful, but the leaves and acorns contain tannic acid, which can cause digestive issues for all animals. You can give them occasionally because it has a high amount of fat. We let our chickens out to free range every week. Everything in moderation, and variety is key. Remember that scratch grains should be viewed as a treat and not be mixed with the complete feed. Just some facts… Here are some other foods that you should avoid giving your chickens: Onions and garlic can … Most of the time chickens will avoid things that aren't good for them, but if food is scarce, or it is included in with other things they normally eat, they can't always be trusted to steer clear. If birds free-range or have treat access, start by feeding their complete feed in the morning before they go out exploring. Starter and grower feeds. Rhubarb. Some of the things that should not be fed to chickens includes amaranth, avocado, butter, chocolate, citrus, caffiene (including coffee grounds), dry beans eggplant leaves, and more. Also in your list of foods to feed you don’t mention spinach or celery? Caffeine which is a methylxanthine should never be fed to chickens and chocolate contains the toxin theobromine which should also be avoided. 100 grams of crickets contains 12.9 grams protein, 5.5 grams fat and 5.1 grams carbohydrates, plus numerous minerals and trace elements. I have a love for all things farmhouse design. It’s dried beans that you need to avoid, and even then once they’re sprouted or cooked, they are fine. Chickens can’t digest everything that humans can, so leave these scraps for the rubbish bin or compost heap. If birds free-range or have treat access, start by feeding their complete feed in the morning before they go out exploring. Yes, I agree, we used to feed our chickens everything including the kitchen sink! Every part of the fruit other than the outer layer is safe to eat. 6. Let’s discuss how we can best determine what happened and what we can do to prevent it so that it doesn’t happen again. At least the store bought ones. “Chickens are natural foragers, so trying new foods is inevitable,” Biggs says. Thank you. Plants in the nightshade family contain solanine and/or oxalic acid, compounds that are toxic to chickens and can cause kidney failure. Are you growing pumpkins at home? Others are uber careful about every morsel that enters the chicken coop. Plants from the Nightshade Family. Funny thing about oak leaves/acorns…we live in the middle of an oak ‘forest’ and even with a covered run it is impossible to keep oak stuff out of the run (or they are exposed to them when we take them out and about). There are several things from the garden that are just terrible for chickens. Potatoes with green skin can make your chickens sick and even kill them. Most chickens aren’t very interested in eating leaves, it’s just there as a precaution. 5) Opossums. Chickens can eat cabbage in moderation and have no problems. What chickens can eat. Chickens can eat meat (even chicken), but don’t feed it to them raw because of risk of disease. 1. Should you feed chickens a natural diet? In fact, as I explain in this post about giving your chickens Valbazen as a dewormer, you can use bread to soak a little medicine in and they’ll gobble it right up.. An important modification. Sprouting is their preferred method in my experience. And this might surprise you also! Sunflower Seeds: Sunflower seeds in the shell are fine to feed, as well as shelled. You can just peel the banana peel off and toss a small portion of the banana to them and they’re sure to go wild. To some extent backyard chickens that are allowed to free range it's a more natural diet than confined chickens do. They’re the unusual case. When they eat a ton of lettuce, they’re also taking in a lot of water, so too much lettuce can lead to diarrhea in your chickens. In fact, it is one of their favorite fruits. For now, feel free to continue reading. 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