As I stand at the kitchen sink, peeling onions and potato skins, which are all part of our household’s contribution to sustainable agriculture, I find myself with a view of the backyard and the chicken coop.
Surrounded by scraps, including a forlorn tomato belonging to the nightshade family, and ready to throw out a bowl of something from the fridge, the question pops into my head, “Can I feed this to the birds in the garden, or specifically to the chickens? And if so, what can’t I feed them?”
You’ve been there, right? Contemplating a limp piece of celery, a half-squeezed citrus fruit, and wondering why you bought these items, these bounties of agriculture, in the first place, only to discard them. There must be a reason, don’t you think? Moreover, your access to various fruits and vegetables should be celebrated and put to good use.
If the chickens, even the lively roosters, consume it, then none of the kitchen scraps or your good intentions go to waste. It’s all about practicing moderation in what we give chickens and ensuring a balanced diet inclusive of high-quality grains and insects.
While it may be tempting to deliver something mysterious and new to your birds out to the coop, be aware that certain foods can do your hens, and even those eggs they’re laying, more harm than good.
Feeding Chickens the Wrong Foods Can Harm Them
Feeding your chickens inappropriate or dangerous foods, including certain types of kitchen scraps, can lead to health issues. It may also result in decreased egg production and, in severe cases, can lead to death.
To help you navigate the world of chicken nutrition, particularly as an integral part of responsible agriculture, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 38 things you should not feed your chickens—and believe me; the reasons are worthy of a garden or backyard discussion.
Foods from the Fridge for Your Chickens
Let’s dive into the back of that refrigerator and see what items we can safely give to our feathered friends and what we absolutely don’t want to offer them.
Avocado: Avocado contains a substance called persin, which is toxic to chickens and can lead to heart and respiratory problems.
Chocolate: Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that can be lethal to chickens. Avoid feeding them any form of chocolate. Besides, if you’re throwing out chocolate, then there’s something wrong in your life! Keep the chocolate. Eat it yourself. Enjoy!
Coffee or Tea: The caffeine present in coffee and tea is harmful to chickens and can negatively impact their nervous system and heart.
Alcohol: Alcohol can impair a chicken’s coordination, leading to balance issues and even organ failure. Keep alcoholic beverages away from your flock.
Onions and Garlic: These foods contain compounds that can damage a chicken’s red blood cells and cause anemia. They also make the eggs taste funny for days.
Raw Potato: Uncooked potatoes contain solanine, a toxic substance that can harm chickens. Always cook potatoes before feeding them to your flock. That said–you have to decide if you want to take the time to cook them or if you’d rather throw them out. I’ve had that internal debate before. (The chickens always win BTW.)
Green Tomatoes: Unripe tomatoes, especially the green ones, contain solanine, which can be poisonous to chickens.
Moldy or Spoiled Food: Moldy or spoiled food can contain harmful bacteria and toxins that can cause illness or digestive problems in chickens. The rule of thumb on this: If you won’t eat it don’t ask your backyard chickens to eat it. Or your side-yard chickens, or barnyard chickens… you get the idea.
Citrus Fruits: The high acidity of citrus fruits can disrupt the digestive system of chickens. Avoid feeding them lemons, oranges, or grapefruits.
Junk Food: Chips, cookies, candy, and other processed snacks are high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. These can lead to obesity and health issues in chickens. If you’re trying to fatten up your meat hens, go for a high quality protein meal specifically designed for poultry.
Dairy Products: Chickens lack the necessary enzymes to digest lactose properly, so avoid feeding them milk, cheese, or other dairy products. If you’ve ever known someone who is lactose intolerant–or perhaps you are–you’ll understand why it can be painful for your chickens to ingest dairy.
Raw Eggs: Feeding raw eggs to chickens can lead to egg-eating habits and can spread disease among the flock. If you want to feed them eggs, then cook them up first. I’ve heard they prefer scrambled eggs but you’re welcome to poached and see how they like it.
Uncooked Rice or Pasta: Rice expands when it gets wet. Again, cooking the food first makes it perfectly safe for chickens to consume. I wouldn’t turn to cooked rice or pasta for their main source of food as it’s lacking nutrients that chickens need to stay healthy.
Rhubarb Leaves: Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, which is toxic to chickens. Keep them away from your flock.
Dried Beans: Raw or uncooked beans contain a compound called lectin, which is harmful to chickens. Cook beans thoroughly before feeding them to your flock.
Houseplants: Many houseplants are toxic to chickens. Keep your flock away from plants such as lilies, philodendrons, or dieffenbachias. Even seemingly harmless objects like bird’s feathers can cause digestive issues if consumed.
Apple Seeds: Apple seeds contain cyanide, which can be poisonous to chickens. Always remove seeds before offering apples to your flock.
Raw Meat: Raw meat can harbor harmful bacteria and pathogens that can make chickens sick. Stick to cooked meat or poultry feed.
Nuts: Large or whole nuts can be choking hazards for chickens. Avoid feeding them almonds, walnuts, or other nuts in their whole form.
Lawn Clippings: Freshly cut grass clippings can ferment quickly and cause digestive issues in chickens. Allow clippings to dry out before offering them as a treat.
Houseplants: Many houseplants are toxic to chickens. Keep your flock away from plants such as lilies, philodendrons, or dieffenbachias.
Medications: Never give your chickens medications or supplements intended for humans or other animals without proper veterinary guidance. Water, for instance, should never be laced with coffee grounds or any foreign ingredient.
Wild Mushrooms: Wild mushrooms can be poisonous to chickens–and people. Always remove any mushrooms from areas where your flock roams. This is of the same importance as keeping away harmful skins of fruits or vegetables.
Tofu: Tofu, as a processed soy product, should be avoided. Spinach (in moderation), along with other healthier alternatives like broccoli, are a better choice for your birds. These may not interfere with nutrient absorption, thus avoiding the problem of digestive issues. You might even consider feeding them crushed eggshells for their calcium needs.
Dog or Cat Food: Technically, neither of these would be in the fridge. Wait! I take that back. I opened a can of wet puppy food and then stored it in a Tupperware in the fridge when the puppy couldn’t finish his dinner. So… I guess it falls under the fridge category. Dog and cat food is formulated for the dietary needs of your furry friends, not chickens. It may lack essential nutrients or contain additives that are unsuitable for poultry, posing a potential problem to their health.
High-Salt Foods: Excessive salt can cause dehydration and kidney problems in chickens. Avoid feeding them salty snacks or processed foods such as cat food. Try to stick to balanced ingredients that are beneficial for their health, like fresh leafy vegetables and broccoli, as taking care of chickens is almost like providing shelter to a flock of farm friends. It’s critical to get your information right, especially about their food.
Ice Cream: Dairy-based ice cream is high in sugar and can lead to obesity and digestive issues in chickens. It’s also a far cry from a protein-rich diet that chickens require. Stick to healthier treats such as fresh greens, grains, and perhaps a small amount of rhubarb in controlled quantities, or even crushed eggshells, which you can easily find in your kitchen waste.
Green Potatoes: Green or sprouting potatoes contain solanine, a toxic compound. Only feed chickens cooked and non-green potatoes. Remember, the same rule applies to green apples as their seeds are toxic to chickens. Properly prepared with good agricultural practices, these can be a good source of nutrients and the apple flesh is perfectly safe when cut away from the skin and seeds.
Uncooked Dough: Raw dough made with yeast can expand in a chicken’s crop, causing discomfort and digestive issues. A drink of water, after consuming food items, can help in digestion – a simple yet important care tip for poultry farmers.
Alcohol-Soaked Foods: Foods cooked or marinated in alcohol should not be fed to chickens. The alcohol content can be toxic to them. This includes even culinary alcohol found in desserts like apple-infused spirits. Let their regular feed, full of beneficial ingredients from the farm, be the primary component in their diet.
There is a cautionary story in our town that goes like this:
One of the farmer’s wives made a traditional, rum soaked fruit cake for Christmas. No one ate it and she fed it to their flock of twenty turkeys in the spring. A few hours later, the farmer came home to find the flock dead on the lawn. They decided to pluck the turkeys and prep them for the deep freeze.
It took a couple hours, but soon they had all the feathers pulled. As they were just getting ready to prep the meat for the freezer, one of the turkeys woke up!
Another followed soon after.
They weren’t dead–they were dead drunk!
Feeling horrible, the farmer’s wife sewed each of the turkeys a flannel vest to help protect them against the elements until their feathers grew back.
What is the moral of the story? Poultry can’t hold their rum!
Fruit Pits and Seeds: Seeds and pits of fruits such as cherries, apples, or peaches can contain toxic substances. Remove them, along with any leftover peels, before offering the fruit to your flock. Even the skins of some fruits can pose a risk. Make this information common knowledge among fellow farmers.
Artificial Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners like xylitol can be toxic to chickens. Avoid feeding them foods or treats with artificial sweeteners. A banana served clean and free of peels, is a far healthier alternative to this junk food.
Fast Food: Greasy, high-sodium junk food, like fast food, is unhealthy for chickens. Stick to a balanced and natural diet grown on your farm for optimal health and avoid these quick but unhealthy temptations. Foods like apples and grapes, without the skin and seeds, are a better choice for a snack.
Hot or Spicy Foods: Chickens have sensitive digestive systems, and spicy or hot foods can cause irritation and discomfort. Similar to the effects caffeine might cause. For chicken farmers, information about the impact of junk food and spicy goods, such as these, is crucial.
Food Additives: Avoid feeding your chickens foods that contain artificial additives, preservatives, or colorings. Stick to natural and unprocessed options. Even a seemingly harmless ingredient, if foreign or harmful or lined with fruit peels, can cause issues.
Canned Foods: Canned foods often contain high levels of sodium, preservatives, and additives that are unsuitable for chickens. Stick to fresh, natural foods like strawberries or grapes. These are free from unnecessary and harmful skins and substances, making them the perfect option for health-conscious farmers.
Processed Meats: Processed meats like deli meats or sausages, particularly like those from junk food outlets, are high in salt, unhealthy fats, and additives. These can lead to health issues in chickens. Greens can be a much healthier option.
Should You Stick to Commercial Feed?
Feeding your chickens a suitable, balanced diet is essential for their health and well-being. That said, some variety won’t harm them. Bits of flesh from melons, well washed, safe-to-eat vegetables, and can all be great for their health. Remember, moderation is key, so go ahead and give them treats, but also provide their chicken feed, and watch them thrive.
Breeds such as Silkies or Rhode Island Reds will immensely benefit from this guide. They’ll be pecking the ground for suitable tidbits, relishing the sweet flesh of ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs while you clean out your fridge AND raise healthy, happy chickens. You could even use some of their waste to enrich your compost pile. Furthermore, add a bird feeder filled with an appropriate diet to maintain their health at an optimum level. Remember, too, avocados are highly toxic to chickens due to a fatty acid derivative known as persin, so make sure to keep those off their menu.
Hopefully this guide will help you manage the stress of cleaning your fridge, and it will allow you to raise healthy, happy chickens – regardless of their breeds. It’s clear that a careful diet with the right balance of chicken feed, safe scraps, and even some sweeter treats like watermellon, can be a key ingredient to chicken health.