Targeted What Not To Feed Chickens

Owning chickens is one thing, but with anything, even ourselves, there are things that you should not feed chickens…

Every animal is different and there are some foods that are poison, and other foods that are just a pain in the stomach.

So let’s have a look at then, shall we…

Is There Anything You Shouldn’t Feed Chickens?

There are actually many things you should not give to your backyard chickens.

Some will give them a stomach ache, are toxic to the chicken itself, and others that can be fatal.

So you need to think not to like what a human eats, and more what a chicken is happy to eat.

Now you know that a chicken is not a herbivore, they are in fact an omnivore like ourselves they eat grains and meat, sounding more like the dinosaurs aren’t they…

What Fruit Is Bad For Chickens?

Let’s have a look at Citrus fruit first:

Now Citrus fruit probably won’t go as far as to kill your chickens, however, they do have a way of causing a drop in hens egg production.

If you fed them feed in moderation is OK.

Now, dried, raw beans:

Did you know that uncooked beans contain hemagglutinin which can be toxic to your chickens?

So none of this as well…

What Other Foods Are Poisonous To Chickens?

Garlic and onions…

We might like them, but to a chicken, these are the two most common culprits that may impact your chicken’s egg flavour.

Really!

Would you really feed chickens garlic and onions?

And there are a few other foods that you should avoid because they do contain toxins that can make your chickens ill or even be fatal.

Avocado pits and skins are toxic to chickens because they contain a toxin called persin. So the inside of the avocado is fine for chickens.

If you are a bit nervous about this, just don’t give them any for your peace of mind.

I don’t remember giving them such exotic food, and it was most probably better, as the tried and tested food you give your chickens, you don’t have to think twice about.

What Should Chickens Not Eat?

Do not feed chickens:

• nothing mouldy
• ever eat chocolate
• outside of an avocado should not be eaten
• no dried or raw beans
• no green potatoes or green tomatoes

What Can Chickens Not Eat List

Let’s go into a little more detail on what can chickens not eat, shall we…

Junk Food

Giving your chickens any junk food is also a no-no.

We like it, and they might too, but as you know junk food is not really good for us.
So for the chicken, don’t make them junk-food addicts.

Here are examples:

• candy
• chocolate
• sweets

There are many animals where chocolate is not good for them.

Also, if your chickens are free-ranging, don’t leave junk food around.

So, if they see any of it on the ground they will most probably peck at it being chickens…

And if they end up eating these things they could end up being very sick.

Moldy Food

Do not feed chickens mouldy food.

You would not eat so why should you give it to your feathery friends…

Mould or rotten foods which include scraps from your kitchen if they’ve been sitting for too long, and they have turned mouldy.

Don’t throw it out to the chickens, the compost is the best place for them…

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The same goes if you get moisture in their feed whether it is in the crumbled form or pellet layer feed.

And also keep an eye on the chicken’s feed containers that are sealed, moisture can still get in.

Somehow it gets into those containers if the container gets damaged and also if there is high humidity.

If this happens and the food becomes mouldy extremely quickly you cannot give this to your chickens it can make them extremely ill as well.

So if your chickens are outdoors, and you have feeders outdoors make sure they are fully covered or they’re put inside when it’s about to rain

Caffeine And Tea

We might like it but do not give to your chickens anything that is caffeine…

And yes, this also includes coffee grounds as well people.

Do not feed chickens caffeine.

The same with teas, you can’t give these things to them because naturally, chickens are quite small compared to us humans if you have not noticed…

So when you think about it…

Even a small bit of caffeine can make them very ill or even, unfortunately, kill them so make sure you’re not allowing your chickens anywhere near anything that has caffeine to keep them healthy.

Feeding Chickens Salts?

Do not feed chickens any food that is high in salts or high in fat.

Things that are usually high in salt are processed meats as well as uncooked meats.

It is okay to give your chickens meats as long as it is cooked OK…

And yes, you can also feed chickens canned fish.

Yes, you can…

Things like:

• canned tuna
• canned sardines
• canned salmon

If you are going to feed chickens these things, do make sure that the packaging says very clearly on it that there is no additional salt added.

If you give them too much salt in their diet daily it could be very bad for their health too.

Things that are high in fat also include sunflower seeds, it is okay to give your chicken sunflower seeds as long as you’re giving it to them in very small amounts.

Feed Chicken Raw Eggs?

Giving a chicken raw eggs…

Sounds a bit funny.

But I am going to tell you why not give your chicken raw eggs as chicken food.

You might think that feed for your chickens could include raw eggs.

Well, they are…

BUT!

If you start to give them raw eggs to eat, which they do gobble up.

This can be habit-forming, and as they get a taste for raw eggs, then you are in danger of your chickens starting to peck at their own eggs in their nesting box.

And what are you in danger of?

Getting no eggs for yourself.

So, before you even have a chance to grab those eggs out of their coop they will be gone, so instead, you go without eggs…

And to break a hen of eating her own eggs if not other eggs.

I don’t even want to think about it...

Because she can also teach others, as an egg is broken if other chickens are in the vicinity they will also feast.

What you can do though, is when you have had your eggs, set aside the shells, wash them inside and out, grind them up in a grinding machine or with a rock if you like.

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And then take the mix of eggshells and place it back into their feed or on the ground as I have done.

Because you have washed the contents of the egg out, and it is dried, it is no different to them as buying shell grit.

The eggshells are actually a really great source of calcium for them and that way they continue to provide you with healthy eggs with really strong shells.

Avocados Anyone?

Are avocados ok for feeding the chickens, well actually peels as well as the pit, some people think that it’s not okay to give chickens?

You can actually give chickens the flesh of the avocado.

But don’t let them anywhere near the peel or the pit because they actually have a toxin which can be fatal to your chickens.

So if you are composting your avocados with daily veggies…

Make sure that your chickens are nowhere near the pit or the peel.

If your chickens are free-range, and you don’t want to take the chance, just throw the avocado in the bin.

Chickens And Potato Skins

Do not it give to your chickens green potato skins, and this is a little surprising, one similar to avocados.

As green potato skins include a toxin that again can be fatal to chickens.

As potatoes are related to the plant deadly nightshade.

So when raw, not to be eaten by man or beast.

You can however give chickens the potato itself if you have cooked them, then give it to your chickens.

You can give them pretty much any type of potato but specifically for green potato skins do not allow them to go anywhere near it.

Expandinng Foods

Do not give to your chickens any food that can expand in water.

I think this is a pretty common sense one when you think about their digestive system and things that can expand in water.

Food you do not want to give to them in their dry form include:

• lentils
• rice
• quinoa
• rice
• dry beans

You can give chickens these things to your chickens if they are already cooked but simply not in their dry form where they will soak up water.

Citrus Food

Any citrus foods given to your chickens will lower the number of eggs that they are producing.

So if you don’t want to change that number, then do not give them anything that is citrus.

Chickens And Dairy Products

Any dairy products such as:

• cheese
• plain yogurt
• milk

There are some people who give their chickens dairy products because it does help in cleaning their chickens out.

Yet it is better to simply give them probiotics, you can pick them up at any local farm supply store as well as order them online.

And the reason why you don’t want to give dairy products to your chickens is because they could end up having diarrhoea.

Yuck!

And that’s no fun…

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have my chickens running around with diarrhoea or any illness or worse from the other things that I have mentioned on this page.

So there you are…

A lengthy list of things that you can and cannot feed chickens.

So keep this in mind when you next choose what to let your chickens get stuck into.