Can Chickens Eat Bell Peppers – What Do You Think?

Can chickens eat bell peppers?

How would have thought!

I would not have…

Do you even eat bell peppers?

So let’s see if your backyard chickens can eat them too shall we…

Bell peppers…

They come in many colours and are good for us.

So what about our feathery friends?

Can Chickens Eat Bell Peppers

If you knew it or not, bell peppers are part of the nightshade family of plants.

Yes…

That again.
But don’t go throwing them out yet, before you read on.

The nightshade family does mean that they do contain a compound called solanine, which is known to be very toxic to our chickens.

So we do need to take care with feeding them bell peppers.

Yet the benefits outweigh that little bit of extra work we do to give them bell peppers for eating

Are Bell Peppers Good for Chickens

From a nutritional perspective, bell peppers are actually low in calories and high in water content.

This means that not only are they eating this fruit.

It is actually a fruit for filling their bellies, but they also get a drink out of the fruit as well…

Not only that, you have health-promoting minerals as well…

Such as:

• calcium
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K1
• folate
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin A
• Posassium

Looks good, doesn’t it?

Also, if you actually feed your backyard chickens those ripe coloured peppers the carotenes in them will make the yolks of your chicken eggs darker.

Now there’s a fact for you.

Want darker yolks?

Then give your chickens ripe bell peppers.

Can Chickens Eat Bell Pepper Leaves

This is where the nightshade family problem starts.

You should never give your chickens any bell pepper leaves!

Not even the stalks or stems of the bell peppers either.

As the leaves and green parts of the bell pepper plant contain the alkaloid poison solanine which can upset the digestive function of your chickens.

If they get a little, then they will probably get a little sick, but too much and it can be fatal, so stay away from any part the bell peppers grow from.

See also Raising The Right Chicken Breed - Chicken Breeds That Lay Eggs
Meaning…

Do not even put them in the compost when the plants have finished.

Just in case your chickens find them when they are out and about in your garden.

Not that they might even eat them when there are other great things they would rather be eating in the back garden.

However, I would not like to take that chance…

Would you?

So keep your chickens away from the leaves, stalks, flowers and stems.

Fence these plants off if you are growing them in the back garden if you frequently let your chickens out for a runaround.

Can Chickens Have Bell Pepper Seeds

Now…

I would have thought myself that the seeds of the bell peppers were also poison to chickens.

But to my surprise, the seeds of the bell peppers are perfectly ok to give your chickens.

So, you can give your chickens the whole bell pepper without worrying about the seeds.

That makes it easier, doesn’t it?

Here I was thinking that you would have to cut the bell peppers open.

And then get all the seeds out before giving the bell peppers to the chickens.
Phew!

Nice to know we don’t have to do this isn’t it?
And YES!

The outer flesh of the bell pepper is also ok.

In fact, it is the seeds of the bell peppers.
That bell peppers themselves are actually considered a fruit by botanical standards.

Another interesting fact.

Yes, we are on a little bit of a fact-finding mission here…
So it seems.

Can Chickens Eat Bell Pepper Scraps

I like bell peppers.

So, can chickens eat bell peppers as scraps you say?

If you also like bell peppers, there will no doubt be scraps in your kitchen once you have prepared them for your own dinner.

So by all means, give them the bell pepper scraps.

Those ripe bell peppers of any colour are fine to give to your chickens.

I find that by buying bell peppers, you get different coloured.

And I eat them all.

But when it comes to your backyard chickens.

See also Can Chickens Eat Brussel Sprouts - What Do You Think?

So that there is no saline present.

Well, you do need to know that it is better to give them the ripe ones.

As it is only present in the nightshade family of plants when they are under-ripe apparently.

Once these bell peppers ripen, the solanine is no longer present.

So…

Do chickens eat green bell peppers? no, better to keep away from them.

Can chickens eat red bell peppers? Yes, this means they are the ripest.

Can chickens eat yellow bell peppers? There should be no problem with it as they are on their way to almost ripe.

Can Chickens Eat Raw Bell Peppers?

Yes, they can.

In fact, this is the best way to give the bell peppers to them.

The natural vitamins and minerals are at their heightened state when raw.

So you will be happy to know that they are getting the best they can in this uncooked state.

If you ask.

Can chickens eat bell peppers cooked? of course, you can give them any leftover cooked bell peppers unless you are going to cook them just for your chickens.

Either way, they will love them.

Is Bell Pepper And Capsicum The Same?

It all depends on where you come from.

You will find that in many different English speaking countries that one vegetable or fruit are known by more than one name.

And so is the bell pepper…

Capsicums are known as bell peppers in America, or when it comes to the UK, they are just known as peppers.

When bell peppers are fully ripe, they have gone from green to yellow to orange and then the sweetest red.

Red is when the vitamin and antioxidant content of the bell peppers are at their best.

So, can chickens eat bell peppers? We know that this is very true.

Can chickens eat bell peppers of any colour? That is debatable, but the ripest is the best.

So bring out those red and orange bell peppers and your chickens will gobble them up.