Can Chickens Eat Lettuce – What Do You Think?

I have come across a question that many people want to know.

And that is can chickens eat lettuce?

You know…

That leafy vegetable that we use on our salads all the time.

But is it really good for your backyard chickens?

Let’s find out, shall we?

There are in fact many types of lettuce that we can find on the supermarket shelves these days.

It almost makes your head spin.

It is enough to try to pick the lettuce that you want to buy.

Much less know whether it is going to be good for your chickens.

Now there are many types of lettuce and I am not going to go through them all.

As this article will be so long that it might just go off the page.

Oh, that’s right.

It can’t do that because it’s not on paper.

Anyway…

Let’s cover the basic approach to this subject with lettuce and chickens.

Can chickens eat lettuce really?

I never thought twice about throwing in some lettuce for my chickens.
So I can tell you now that lettuce is fine for them.

It is not a vegetable that you have to worry about at all.

The leaves of the lettuce are made short-work of by your chickens beaks and they seem to really like it.

Some have said that Iceberg lettuce can have a tendency to give your chickens diarrhoea if eaten too much though.

I have not found this myself, yet again I don’t go giving them too much.

Different lettuce can contain:

• Vitamin A
• Manganese
• Vitamin C
• Iron
• Vitamin K
• Folate
• Calcium

As you can see here that lettuce does have its vitamins and minerals that benefit us and our fowls.

Even though it is said that lettuce does not have much nourishment.

Can Chickens Eat Too Much Lettuce

It is said that the Iceberg lettuce dose does not have much nutritional value and can cause some chickens diarrhoea if fed in large amounts.

Now you are not going to do that, are you?

As with any treats.

I do reiterate ‘treats’ as I have in my other articles on food for chickens.

So, say, you are going to have a salad or put some lettuce on the side of your plates for a meal.

There is always the outer leaves that are thrown away.

These are what I usually take down to my chicken run and just throw it in.

See also Can Chickens Eat Oranges - What Do You Think?

Watch your chickens come running if they have not already bailed you up at the chicken door first.

Can Chickens Eat Lettuce Leaves

The lettuce leaves being the outer part of the lettuce is fine for your chickens.
It is a bit softer and also some of the leaves are a bit darker in colour.

Now, which lettuce, the darker the leaves the more nutrients it has.

Like iron for instance…

And we all know iron is good for all of us.

This also includes our feathered friends with the beaks.

Can Chickens Eat Lettuce Stems

Lettuce stems are young and therefore going to be fresh and crisp.

So if you have chickens running a muck intentionally in your back yard.
If you intend growing lettuce.

Beware of the beady eyes that fix their sights on these tasty morsels.

Because they will go through like a hurricane and demolish all your lettuce stems in no time flat.

So I think you know now that not only do your chickens like them.

They are ok for them as well.

What Age Can Chickens Eat Lettuce

There is nothing sinister in lettuce.

It is quite mild.

So you can start giving it to them, I would say after a week of age.

But do remember to give it to them in little pieces and also not too much.

As the chicks are so young, any greens given in large amounts is going to give them the runs.

Best to watch just how much you give them.

Most probably little is better than trying to give them too much.

And if they are ok, you can then try giving them more next time.

How To Feed Chickens Lettuce

How can you not feed them lettuce really?

There are so many ways.

You can cut it up.

Tear the leaves up for them, or just throw in the whole leaves, they will break off, or should I say tear it up with their beaks.

The inside of the lettuce is going to be no problem for your chickens to peck at and quite fun for them as well…

I have heard of people putting lettuce in a sort of mesh bag and hanging it up for them.

It is not only a novelty for them it also keeps the lettuce out of the dirt.

See also Can Chickens Eat Cherries - What Do You Think?

So they are eating pure lettuce without the dirt clinging to it as well.

Or you could even try putting a sting through lettuce and tying it to some posts or the chicken fence.

But if you do this.

Only put out whole lettuce if you have a lot of chickens.

As I have said before…

Not too much.

If you have a few chickens, then you can cut up the lettuce middle and just put some in the sack.

Of thread parts of the lettuce on a thread.

Can Chickens Eat Old Lettuce

Old lettuce is not a problem for your chickens to eat.

Of course, they will like the fresher parts.

But you are sometimes going to get some lettuce that is in the fridge.
Maybe you forgot about it.

And need to throw it away.

But once it starts to go a bit slimy.

It belongs on the compost heap. Not in your chicken’s stomaches.

You would not eat it and nor should your chickens.

Tye can take older lettuce than you can, but not that old.

Can Chickens Eat Cooked Lettuce

I’m sorry…

Do you cook your lettuce?

Well if you do for any reason, I can tell you now that they will.

As long as it is not cooked till it is a ball of I don’t know what.

But it is fine for your chickens, they will eat it.

But do not

think that you have to go cooking lettuce because you think they can not eat raw lettuce.

Raw is the best way to go every time overcooked.

Can Chickens Eat Frozen Lettuce

I have never tried this myself.

But I can see the advantages to doing this.

It is a nice treat on a hot day.

So yes…

Why not.
I do however find that if you do freeze lettuce.

When it is taken out of its frozen state, that it just starts to go limp and reduce in size.

This is because of the thawing process.

The cells of the lettuce are filled with water, and once it starts to melt.

The cells burst and the lettuce left too long will resemble a lump of slime.

So give it to your chickens quickly enough that they can get through in time before this happens.

So…

Can chickens eat lettuce?

In so many ways by the looks of it.