Can Chickens Eat Rice – What Do You Think?

Rice is one of the biggest staple foods that are eaten around the world.

Especially Asia.

It is mainly used to bulk food up.

As a filling, you could say…

So, if so many people eat rice, what about your backyard chickens.

Can chickens eat rice?

Let’s find out, shall we…

Rice through the ages that have been grown by humans would have been part of the natural diet of chickens as well.

Grains have been the most eaten food of chickens through their wild state as well.

Even now the wild chicken that still inhabits the earth, are in the undergrowth picking up wild grains as their main food.
So…

Yes…

Rice is ok for your domesticated chickens to eat.

And we all have some rice in our kitchen cupboards.
Well…

Most of us anyway.

Is White Rice Good For Chickens?

So, now we have the question – can chickens eat rice…

What about the goodness, how good is it for your chickens then.

Rice actually contains small amounts of iron, calcium, and potassium.

So, it is almost pure carbohydrate and only has 4.4% protein in it which really makes it a poor food for chickens compared to other food.

Yet, when it comes to this food as being a treat for your backyard chickens.
Watch out!

Any leftover rice that you might have from the night before.

You might just think twice before putting the leftovers back in the fridge for another day if you think of the look on your chicken’s faces.

Knowing how they feel about getting this food, must make you stop and think.

So put that covered container away, bring out the rice before you close the fridge door and have it ready to take it down to your chicken pen.

What happens If Chickens Eat Rice?

Being carbohydrate-heavy, the rice should not be given in great amounts to your chickens.

Not that they would argue the fact on this if you gave them a chance…

But if you want to end up with chickens with diarrhoea and messy bums.
By all means.

Not only that.

But too much rice could also have an impact on the hen’s egg production.
You don’t want that do you?

So it is a treat.

Do not think that because this rice is fairly cheap to buy and your chickens love it.

That you can start to swap this over for their main chicken food such as chicken pellets and chicken grains.

This food is made for your chickens and has all the natural minerals and such that they need to have a healthy life.

Anything else needs to be a treat to their diets and also this enhances their taste buds and extra minerals and vitamins they can get from fruit and vegetables.

Just as they would have in their natural wild environment.

You try going without any fruit and vegetables for a while.

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Your system will soon crave for it.

How Much Rice Should I feed My Chickens?

As we have established now, that if asked, can chickens eat rice by the pail full?
You know better.

Only as a treat.

Make it around about 10% of your chicken’s overall diet.

I know it is a bit hard to work out all of this when you go into your chicken run and look at all your chickens.

So this is a guide.

I don’t want you to be getting out the scales and trying to work it out.

I will drive you mad, and your chickens as well, having to wait till you got all the measurements right before you actually feed them.

So use this as a guide and work from there.

If they get diarrhoea, then you know you have given them just too much.
I am sure you will not get to this stage…

As it would take a lot to do this.

Can Chickens Eat Rice Cooked

So, can chickens eat rice in cooked form?

I prefer to feed chickens cooked rice over any other form.

The cooked rice not only softens the rice itself.

It makes it easy to swallow and fills your stomach much quicker.
Anyway…

You only eat cooked rice, as I do not think you would enjoy eating uncooked rice.
And that is not a good idea.

It is?

Can Chickens Eat Rice Hulls

Personally…

I would not be giving any chicken rice hulls.

As this is the outside of the rice that is most probably shucked on in some sort of process.

It is dry and also hardy of any nutrients to your chickens.

Not only that!

It is harsh.

How would you like to be swallowing something that resembles something like a prickle down your throat?

You would need to get a big glass of water out for this if you did choose to do this.
And I bet you will not try it a second time.

So if you have rice to give your chickens, why would you offer your chickens rice hulls.

I know which one they will go for every time.

And you will also find out if try them also.

Can Chickens Eat Brown Rice

As we know that brown rice has more nutrients than white rice which has gone through a process.

So if you do have any brown rice around your kitchen.

This rice will benefit your chickens better because of its natural properties that have not been taken out in the process of achieving white rice.

It is really like having white bread compared to having brown bread.
If you think of it like this you will understand why…

Can Chickens Eat Boiled Rice

Now, you’re talking.

Boiled rice is fluffy and plump.

Your chickens will be knocking you over when you go to their chicken coop with a bowl of rice.

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Whether you leave it in the bowl for them.

Or choose to throw it on the ground.

they will peck up at the rice grains that they can find.

Can Chickens Eat Black Rice

Black rice again…

Is unrefined.

And therefore has more nutrients in it than the white rice.

As you know yourself if you have had black rice it takes an age to cook.

And it is also not as soft as white rice because of its properties.

It has not been leached of many of its properties.

So it will in turn not be as soft as white rice.

You might do well in cooking it that little more to soften it.
But there is no need if you choose not to.

As chickens do spend their days picking up hard grains from the undergrowth if they can find them.

They will have no trouble swallowing these grains of black rice.

Can Chickens Eat Dry Rice

I would have said no if asked and not had a chance to think about it.
But that would be misleading.

As uncooked rice when it comes to chickens is ok.
And neither will it swell inside your chicken’s crops or do them any harm.

As with us, it is different if we have too much and then have some water.
The rice will swell.

But you know that your chickens gut is different and hardy.

Their gut crushes up had food, with a mixture of grit that they have in their stomachs.

So there is no problem with your chickens being fed dry rice.
But not a lot of it ok…

Can Chickens Eat Fried Rice

If, for any reason that you just might have some fried rice that has been left on your plate.

You know and I know that it is delicious.

And with all the goodies that consists of fried rice or if it is just fried rice on its own.
Which is very un lightly…

The frying aspects with any food give it a lovely taste and aromas.
So with the oil, the rice will be even tasty.

So try and stop your chickens from eating if you can.
Remembering once again…

That fried fats also means more salt.

So only give it to them as a treat.

Even less than you would if you were giving them boiled rice, because of the oil or fat content.

But apart from that.

It is delicious and your chickens will realize the from the first beak full as well.

Now that we have established that rice is good for chickens big and small.

It does not matter if your backyard chickens are a big breed or a bantam breed.
It is all the same when we are talking about feeding them rice.

So, can chickens eat rice?

You better believe it.