Can Chickens Eat Banana – What Do You Think?
We are getting back to the questions people ask about what chickens can eat.
Here’s one…
Can chickens eat banana?
Banana as a fruit is nutritional so if it is good for us, is it good for your Backyard Chickens then.
Let’s find out, shall we?
Are Bananas OK For Chickens
The banana is a tropical fruit that is grown in the warmer areas of the world, and now we can get bananas all over the world at any time of the year.
So what does this say for your backyard chickens?
Can you feed your chickens bananas?
Can chickens eat banana?
I had no trouble throwing in the odd banana scraps in the box to take out for the chickens.
In fact, they relish them.
Once they get their beady little eyes fixed on a banana, they come rushing up to feast on them.
And you amusingly end up with chicken’s beaks smothered with bananas on them.
Now that’s a happy sight to see.
Because you know that they are loving it.
Are Bananas Good For Chickens
I naturally did not think twice about giving my chickens bananas and knew that they would be a good source of nutrients for them.
In fact, bananas are very nutritious.
They are high in vitamins C, B6 and A.
Not to mention that they also contain iron, niacin, magnesium, and other trace elements as well…
You would not think as the banana has such an array of goodness to it, and as we are encouraged to eat them, they are also beneficial to our chickens.
This in turn will also keep them healthy.
You need to give them things like bananas, because as they are backyard chickens and do not get out in the back yard often.
They need these nutrients that they would otherwise not get in their other grains.
I am not saying that the store-bought grain has not got a lot of goodness put into them.
They have.
But it is good to give them natural food as well to subsidise their diets to keep their bodies healthy.
It’s not all about the exercise you know…
What you put into your chicken’s stomaches also benefits their overall health and moods.
Yes food, good food also can help with mood.
See also Can Chickens Eat Celery - What Do You Think?
And your chickens are no different than us they also have moods.
And we like to keep these moods bright most of the time.
At least help them on this of course…
Can Chickens Eat Brown Bananas
As you know, bananas are yellow in colour.
So when you have a brown banana that usually means one of two things.
If you put a banana in the fridge, its skin will turn brown but the banana inside is quite fine.
Then you have the banana that has gone brown on the outside because it has started to go overripe.
You can see the little specks on the outside of the banana peel itself and these would be the trace elements of sugar.
For some reason bananas as they got overripe they get even more sugary.
It must be something to do with a chemical reaction to the ageing process.
If the banana inside is still yellow in colour, this is a good time that your chickens will enjoy the bananas the best.
But if it is overripe, you would not eat it – so do not go giving it to your chickens either.
It belongs on the compost heap in your back garden if you have one.
How often Can Chickens Eat Bananas
You would think that these bananas rich in nutrients are good to give your chickens all the time.
But…
There is a hitch!
And that is that when bananas do age, they also produce more sugar as I said above.
This problem is that this is sugar…
As natural as it is, you do need to take care.
Sugars in great quantities are not good for your chickens, health-wise and also for their weight.
So I would give it to them a fair bit, but do not go making a habit of thinking that this can be something that you can give them every day.
Think of it as a treat, and therefore give it to them once to two times a week.
This way, you will have them rushing for that treat when they see it.
What Age Can Chickens Eat Bananas
Chickens, chicks…
It does not matter, there is nothing in this fruit that is going to hurt them with the exception of too much sugar.
If you have chicks that are still of chick crumbles, there is nothing wrong with giving them some banana as well.
See also Can Chickens Eat Apples - What Yo You Think?
Even if it is overripe a little.
As your chickens are young and their pecking power is not that good yet, it is a good idea to think about mashing up some bananas for them.
Or cutting it up in little pieces so that they can manage it better.
Anyway…
The sight of a big banana on the ground is most probably going to have them running away.
They want to tackle little food and are comfortable with this.
Can Chickens Eat Dried Bananas
Hmmm…
Dried bananas.
Have you ever eaten a dried banana before?
Not only is it though, but also chewy.
If you buy some dried bananas at the shops, I find that it is really dried.
And no good for your beaky chickens to get into.
If you dry bananas yourself, then they are not so hard.
The drying process can also stimulate the sugars in the bananas as well.
So if you are even considering giving your backyard chickens any dried bananas.
You will need to soak them first to soften them and cut them up into little pieces.
But overall…
I would just give them fresh bananas.
Can Chickens Eat Banana Peels?
If you want to throw in a banana with the banana peel on it
There is no problem.
Especially if the banana peel is a bit overripe.
They get their beaks into the banana peel and tuck right into the banana itself.
As far as under-ripe banana peels are concerned.
I would not give them this as they will not really like the toughened skin.
And the fact that when the banana is a bit ripe, the skins soften and become thin.
The chickens will be happy enough not to have to peck through an under-ripe peel.
As it is not very tasty at that time.
So yes…
As long as the peels are overripe…
And with the sugar again…
Not too much.
But to just give them banana peels on their own…
They would rather have the inside of the banana as well.
So…
Can chickens eat banana? not only that, but they can eat it and the banana peel as well.