Chickens require a diverse diet in order to receive all the nutrients they require for optimal health. Alongside pellets, chickens love most vegetables and fruits (excluding citrus fruits, rhubarb and uncooked beans), grains non-sugary cereals and dried morsels such as sunflower seeds.
Mushrooms may not be considered traditional poultry snacks, but they provide essential vitamins that may increase egg production.
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Vegetables
Yes, chickens can consume cooked rice (sans salt!). Doing so will provide your flock with an additional source of carbohydrates and proteins to supplement their diets.
Corn on the cob is an exquisite treat your girls are sure to savor, providing essential sources of protein and carbs not found in bagged poultry feed.
Chickens can also benefit from eating dark leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and broccoli that contain high concentrations of calcium – these dark green leafy veggies help promote egg production as well as maintaining a strong and healthy skeletal system for your flock.
Fruits such as bananas and avocados make delicious treats for your flock. Both offer low calories and fat content while providing vital Vitamin C benefits that support immunity. Just be sure to remove seeds and pits from avocados as these may contain trace amounts of cyanide.
Chickens can enjoy fresh or cooked asparagus as it contains both iron and Vitamin A as well as fiber-rich goodness.
Fruits
Yes, chickens eat various fruits such as grapes and strawberries that contain antioxidants, Vitamin C and minerals like iron. Furthermore, these fruits provide them with essential water.
While most fruits are safe for chickens to eat, cherries, apricots and plums should be avoided as their pits and seeds contain small amounts of cardiac-toxic cyanide. You should also refrain from feeding them green potato peels and skins which contain toxic solanine that could build up in their bodies and lead to fatal heart attacks.
Your backyard should provide plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables suitable for chicken consumption, or you can find suitable food at grocery stores with produce departments. Stores sometimes discard produce that has wilted due to long sitting in storage – perfect additions for chicken feed! Just avoid salty foods which could cause hypernatremia in your birds!
Seeds
Chickens should consume seeds in moderation, such as sunflower and pumpkin, to add additional proteins and vitamins to their diets. Cantaloupe can also provide some delicious treats that contain Vitamin C for stress management and cell health support as well as potassium, calcium, sulfur and iron which support egg production.
Green beans can be an amazing food source for your flock, providing fiber and antioxidants. However, be careful with giving raw green beans as these contain goitrogenic agents which interfere with normal thyroxine production.
While many farmers consider comfrey invasive, this plant makes an excellent feed for your flock. Packed with protein, vitamins B12, A and C as well as calcium, phosphorus and selenium; additionally stinging nettle is another great option with high concentrations of Vitamin K, A potassium iron magnesium content.
Meat
Chickens are omnivorous creatures, and meat provides essential proteins essential for optimal egg laying, feather growth and immune system response. A backyard flock can enjoy eating raw, cooked and ground meat (poultry, turkey, rabbit), fish and crayfish; however dried beans and kidney beans contain toxic proteins (hemagglutinin and oligosaccharides) which could prove fatal at higher amounts.
Avoid feeding your chickens cauliflower as it contains goitrogenic substances which may lead to goiter and immune deficiency in birds. Also avoid giving wild mushrooms as these contain toxic fungicides which could potentially poison their flock.
Your flock may also enjoy fresh produce suitable for human consumption such as peeled bananas, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot tops, cucumbers, greens like kale and spinach, grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelons and squash. A bale of hay provides protein and fiber; just make sure that any foods with mold cause hypernatremia – an electrolyte imbalance.
