Can Chickens Eat Strawberries- What Do You Think?
Can chickens eat strawberries?
I thought this question would come up sooner or later.
So it might be the right time to dispel any myths about strawberries to know exactly if the backyard strawberry is in fact good to feed your backyard chickens.
Can Chickens Eat Strawberries?
Strawberries are there shining in the sun, on the ground…
And in fair sight, it is to your backyard chickens.
So what do you think would happen if you opened up the chicken door and let your chickens out.
Do you think you should be pushing them back from the strawberries in case they are not good for them?
Well…
Good luck with that.
As your chickens will be rushing and ducking under your waving hands to get at those lovely shinny red strawberries on the ground.
So I think this might actually answer the question of whether your chickens eat strawberries or not…
Try and STOP THEM!
Are Strawberries Good For Chickens
Strawberries are actually full of goodness with vitamins such as C, A and B9.
Yet…
Like many things that are nice to eat, they are also high in sugar.
I know…
As with anything we eat that really tastes good.
There has to be a catch- and that is usually the sugar, right?
But they also have an anti-inflammatory component called quercetin in them, so that is a plus.
But is it an excuse to eat many of them?
Well…
No.
Not as far as the sugar content is concerned it isn’t.
Can Baby Chickens Eat Strawberries
As I have mentioned with many of these chicken guides with what they can eat, the young chickens are fragile and new to the world.
So it would not be a good idea in giving them too many.
Can chickens eat strawberries if they are even small?
Yes, they can eat strawberries.
You would be better of to cut a strawberry up into small pieces so that they do not choke.
As first getting the taste of these delicious fruits, they might just try to hog themselves.
And not being experienced in this sort of thing.
Well, you do not want to be hanging a baby chicken upside down, trying to pat it on the back to get the stuck strawberry piece out of its throat, do you…
Not going to happen…
Or you could always mash the strawberry up if I have scared you with that little piece of the information.
How Many Strawberries Can Chickens Eat?
Because of the sugar content that strawberries have it is a good idea to restrict your chicken to about two per fowl.
But how do you regulate this if you have a bunch of chickens knocking each other over to get at the strawberries you have in your hand.
Not really possible.
So I would suggest just cutting some up and putting them on the ground.
See also If Only You Had Australorp Chickens In Your Backyard
If you only have a few birds then it should be no problem.
I do not think you would let a few chickens scare you, into holding a strawberry now…
Are Strawberries Poisonous To chickens?
As you might have gathered now, that strawberries are not poisonous to your backyard chickens.
Not even if you gave them many.
But you can only end up with a chicken that is overweight or have the runs in a very bad way…
So no, you can not feed them too much of the humble strawberry to be poisonous to your chickens.
Can Chickens Eat Dried Strawberries
I would ponder on why you would want to give your chickens dried strawberries?
But if you do decide to do this for whatever reason.
Or have only thought about this passing question yet do not ever want to do it.
Yes, you can give them tried strawberries.
If they are too hard, you will need to soak them in water for a little while to soften.
As your chickens do not have teeth.
Yet that beak of theirs…
Have you ever seen it twist to tear things off food?
Can Chickens Eat Strawberry Leaves
Strawberries, leaves.
You do know that your chickens will make a v-line straight to the red strawberries first every time.
But they do in fact eat Strawberry leaves too.
So do not go throwing them away on the compost because you think that strawberry leaves might not be good for them.
They will happily gobble them up.
So be prepared if they do get into your strawberry patch that you will be left with little resembling a strawberry plant if they get their way.
How To Feed Chickens Strawberries
You can throw the strawberries into the chicken run as they are, as long as you have washed them if you bought them from the shop as they could have a spray-on them which could be poisonous to them.
But apart from that, your chickens will dive their beaks straight into them to get at the flesh
No trouble there…
Or you could also cut them up for them.
Or even if you feel the urge, mash them up for your chickens.
Can chickens eat strawberries if you mash them up, you might just have strawberry mash all over their beaks.
But it is probably best to just cut them up or throw the strawberries in whole.
Can Chickens Eat Mouldy Strawberries
Would you eat a mouldy strawberry?
No.
I didn’t think so…
I am not saying that your backyard chickens will not eat them, but it is better for their overall health that they get fresh food.
Well…
At least fresh enough that they are not going on the mouldy side.
It is not a pleasant sight for us to see a fruit moulding.
And we do not want to be putting it into our mouths.
See also Understanding Different Hen Types
So why would you feed your chicken mouldy food right?
Mouldy strawberries might get pecked at if there are no other strawberries to be had.
But I would not even put them in the chicken run as temptation.
Once strawberries are going mouldy you know that they have bacteria in them and this bacteria might not be that good for your chicken’s gut.
So you do not want diarrhoea from your chickens, do you?
Can Chickens Eat Old Strawberries
Now we are taking not mouldy strawberries, but old strawberries are quite alright for them.
As the strawberries age and are not starting to break down from the ageing process.
They become quite soft and are still tasty.
So no problem feeding your leftover strawberries that you forgot in your kitchen to your backyard chickens.
Can Chickens Eat Whole Strawberries
Well…
That depends on what you are asking here…
I am imagining that you are asking if a chicken can swallow a whole strawberry.
And good luck with THAT!
I have seen them struggle with getting down some big pieces of food now and then…
And this is usually because they do not want to share with the other chickens and just try and gulp it down in one hit.
Not very sharing are they?
But did you mean by throwing it into your chicken pen…
A whole strawberry for them to eat?
Not a problem.
They will peck it to pieces and despatch the strawberry quite quickly indeed.
Can Chickens Eat Strawberries Tops
Can chickens eat strawberries…
Well, strawberry tops as I understand it here are the little leaves that every strawberry has on top of it.
No problem, they will go down with the strawberries in no time flat.
Can Chickens Eat Strawberry Stems
Now strawberry stems are fragile and soft.
So your chickens will have no trouble in gobbling up the strawberry stems poking up from the ground.
But you might have other ideas if you are wanting to grow your strawberries in your backyard.
Have let out your chicken for a while and gone inside your house.
Only to think what have you done!
You have left your chickens unsupervised in the back yard and there is no barrier to keep them away from the new strawberries you are trying to grow.
Well, you better get your running shoes on the get out there quick.
If you are going to still see that your new strawberries are still there.
As your chickens will now care about you trying to grow new strawberries.
All they see is FOOD!
So I think I have covered a bit about can chickens eat strawberries?
So you need not fear about giving your chickens strawberries.
You need to fear that you can keep your backyard chickens away from your strawberry plants in your strawberry patch.