Can Chickens Eat Cabbage – What Do You Think?

We eat cabbage raw and cooked.

Mostly cooked…

And it is good for us…

So what do we think about giving cabbage to our backyard chickens?

Can chickens eat cabbage?

Let’s find out.

The cabbage makes an excellent treat for your chickens…

There is nothing about the cabbage that you can not give your chickens, so that’s a plus.

You do not have to be worrying what part you can not give them.

And if you grow cabbages in your backyard garden, then you know when you let your chickens out for a runaround.

If they do come across any cabbages growing they will be ok.
Not that they will touch them really.

As faced with a big ball of quite tightly and tough vegetable like this.
There are far easier pickings for them to run after.

You might not know that the cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable.
It is a good source of calcium, potassium and magnesium that your backyard chickens actually need.

The minerals in the cabbage plant not only make your chickens strong, but will also help keep them healthy.

They also have in them:

• Vitamin C
• Calories
• Proteinm
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin B6
• Folate
• Manganese
• Fiber

Not a bad bunch of vitamins and minerals to keep your chickens in tip-top condition is it?

Can You Feed Chickens Cabbage

As we have now established that feeding cabbage to your chickens is to their benefit.

Should you feed them a lot of cabbage.

No…

Although it is good for them.

You do not want to overload them up on cabbage.

It still needs to be treated as a treat.

Yet you can give them more cabbage than other treats such as fruit, the main reason here is that fruit has more sugar content to it.

And as a vegetable, the cabbage does not.

I am not saying that can not give your chickens the runs if they have just too much.

But you are not going to let that happen, are you?

Can Chickens Eat Red Cabbage

Can chickens eat cabbage of the red variety?

Yes, you can give your chickens red cabbage as well…

In fact, it is one of the best vegetables that you can give to your backyard chickens.
Actually…

The red and purple cabbage variety has ten times more vitamin A than the green variety of cabbage.

So if you do buy a red cabbage, just treat it as you would the green cabbage.
They can indeed eat every part of it.

Can Chickens Eat Cabbage Leaves

Can chickens eat cabbage leaves that are fairly thick…

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Because the leaves are crisp, this helps your chickens to get their beaks into it and tear it apart.

Red Cabbage Leaves

Your chickens are armed well with a beak that is proficient at getting into such food like this.

If, however, you have bought some e-battery hens and their beaks have been trimmed.

This means that they are blunt at the tips and you will have to cut it up for them at this time.

Until their beaks grow to a pointy end again.

The last thing you want to see is a hen trying to peck away at a cabbage with her blunt beak and get hardly anywhere.

You just have to get in that chicken run and give her a hand…

What Age Can Chickens Eat Cabbage

I would leave it till your chickens are a little older, say three weeks at least.
As the cabbage is quite dense.

And your chickens are still quite weak, and the cabbage parts might just get stuck in their throats.

Unless you cook the cabbage and cut it up first.

Then there is no trouble as the vegetable itself is harmless to them.

Can Chickens Eat Shredded Cabbage

Shredded cabbage is a good idea.

If you even shread it fine, then it is going to go fast when you take it down to your chicken coop.

Once put on the ground, you will see shredded cabbage most probably thrown around.

Swallowed quite fast.

And broken up by their beaks even faster.

So, if you have any leftovers from shredding from a salad.

Keep some aside for your chickens.

And even if you have made a salad with it.

We already know that they can have mayonnaise.

So if it does have some mayonnaise on the cabbage.

You can still give it to them without washing it beforehand.

Can Chickens Eat Chinese Cabbage

Another form of the cabbage variety is Chinese cabbage.

It is crisp and the edges of the leaves are not so dense as the normal cabbage.

It is fine to feed your chickens this cabbage.

Chinese Cabbage
They will love the crispness as we do and will approach it with vigour.

I would give the inside stalk parts of the leaves as well.

Do not think that you have to cut off the centre parts of the leaves.
Thinking that they are too hard for them.

Because this is going to be the fun part for your fowls.

As they peck away at the mature enriched pieces.

Can Chickens Have Too Much Cabbage

Well…

Yes, they can.

If you give them too many greens they will get the runs.
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Especially if they have not had a lot of it.

You say…

‘But what about grass, that is greens but they do not get diarrhoea with that?’

That is true, but you need to remember that chickens when wild have eaten on grass and seeds alike.

Because this is part of their natural food when in their wild state.

They have had a lot of time to evolve to eat it.

Whereas these sorts of vegetables, most chickens have only been getting them for their domesticated lives with humans.

And it takes time for things to evolve.

And that is not just a few generations when it comes to food.

Is Purple Cabbage OK For Chickens

Again…

As with red cabbage, there is no problem feeding your backyard chickens this either.
Sometimes when the colour of a vegetable is stronger such as this.

It does indicate that it is most probably more nutrient-rich.

So if you have a liking for purple cabbage.

You can feed it to your chickens without a worry.

Do Chickens Eat Raw Cabbage

Although harder in its consistency.

Your fowls will get through it raw.

It will take a little while, but on the bright side…

It does give them something to do.

As the vegetable is raw, the nutrients will be intact and will benefit them best.

Try to have some fun with it.

Put some string through part of the cabbage and hang it up for them to peck at.
Add some fun to their dinner table.

Can Chickens Eat Boiled Cabbage

Can chickens eat cabbage boiled you say…

And this is a good thing when your chickens have the ease of eating it.

Although the cooking process does leach away some of the goodness associated with cabbage.

Do not let that put you off.

I am sure that you will have some leftovers from your table of cooked cabbage.
I would not go cooking it just to give your chickens.

As they will eat it well enough raw.

But make sure that you give it to them and not put it onto the compost heap.
Chickens first!.

Subsidise it with some raw cabbage as well when you prepare it for your table.

If you have the scraps from preparing your cabbage for a meal.

Give that to them.

If you have some leftovers from a meal that is cooked, they can have that as well.

Just not too much that is all…

If you do have too much.

Then you can put it on the compost heap.