Though our chickens roam the world and eat everything growing on it, there are some plants and food items that they really should avoid and that are actually toxic for chickens.
In this article, we’ll take a quick look at the best things to avoid and why.
Let’s get started.
Vegetables
Though most chickens love vegetables (especially colorful ones), there are a handful which pose a dangerous risk to their health and are toxic for chickens. Perhaps the first one most people think of is avocado.
In fact, chickens can enjoy a very small amount of avocado when the pits are removed but we don’t recommend it. Avocados are toxic for chickens even in small amounts. As always, when things are risky, it is better to simply avoid it.
Other vegetables you’ll want to avoid are ones that cause large amounts of gas.
Chickens are not put together like we are.
The majority of their digestion takes place in the crop and the gizzard, grinding and crushing their food in those two organs since they don’t have teeth like we do.
Because of this, chickens cannot deal with a large gas load and will often die of bloat or get terrible bouts of stomachache and diarrhea. Both of these can lead to death or long-term discomfort in which the bird will lose condition.
Beans that are frequently dried and stored for human consumption should not be fed in large quantities to poultry. Brassicas should be avoided in large quantities as well because of the same issue.
These plants produce a large amount of gas when digested and it is no different for chickens. They simply cannot handle it. Some chickens may even burst on the inside, leading to sepsis quickly and an unfortunate, painful end.
However, a small floret of broccoli (especially cooked) or a handful of beans to a flock will not hurt your birds. A whole avocado split amongst three or four chickens, though, certainly will lead to severe sickness if not death.
Nightshades such as potatoes and tomatoes and all parts of their plants should be avoided. As well, try not to give alliums, either. This includes onions and garlic, but is not limited to them. Nightshades will kill your chickens and most alliums will cause liver problems or issues producing red blood cells.
While it may be disappointing that you can’t feed your chickens these vegetables, there are many other plants that they can safely consume. In fact, you can feed them this plant, which will double the egg production of your flock and grows almost everywhere in America.
Azaleas and Other Toxic Flowers
We’re starting with flowers because so many people love to see a colorful dinner tray for their birds, especially if it’s the holidays or they want to offer them treats.
And, let’s be honest, the chickens really seem to be into the colors and blossoms, too. It’s something of a problem when they approach certain flowers, however.
Azaleas are always poisonous. They are toxic for chickens, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, and ducks. If it’s a living animal, an azalea is not its friend (unless it’s a pollinator, they’re fantastic for pollinators). If you have these bushes and you also have livestock, either someone who lived there before did not have livestock or did not realize just how dangerous azaleas are. Destroy them.
Continuing on the subject of flowers, we all know the damage poinsettias can do, but did you know that there are hundreds of other flowers that are dangerous to you and your poultry? We strongly recommend looking up a complete guide, but here are several: foxglove, bird of paradise, morning glories, daffodils, amaryllis, and wisteria.
Chocolate
This may be an outlier but it is just as important as the rest. Chocolate cannot be absorbed properly and can be toxic for chickens. The same problems that exist for dogs also exist for chickens.
Related: Chicken Secrets Nobody Told You About
If you lose a small piece in the coop and a chicken gets to it before you do, don’t worry about it too much. But don’t throw them extra chocolate birthday cake as a means to get rid of it. You will make your flock very, very sick.
Raw Rice and Other Grains
Lastly, we have raw grains but I want to note that especially rice can be an issue. A long time ago, people threw uncooked rice over newly married couples to wish them a good fortune in the future. This was discontinued in many areas when people noticed the local birds were struggling and dying of bloat in the aftermath of these weddings.
Why does this happen and how can you prevent it in your flock?
Let’s break it down.
This happens primarily due to the absorption and par-cooking of expanding grains within the animal’s digestive tract.
How does the grain par-cook?
Unfortunately, the animal is so warm inside that the grain is encouraged to absorb fluid along the bird’s digestive tract. Simply put, the grains are much smaller when they enter the bird so the bird eats more of them than they should.
⇒ If You Have This Plant in Your Backyard, Don’t Let Your Chickens Eat It
As the grain expands… well, we’ve all seen what happens with a container of Jiffy Pop, right?
Pop. Kerblooie. That’s your chicken’s insides, except this time it’s not fava beans. It’s rice, and it really isn’t your fault because you didn’t realize it.
If a grain is rolled, crushed, or otherwise mauled, it’s usually fine to feed grains to poultry. In fact, if you look at the back of your feed bag, you’ll be shocked at how many grains your chickens are eating on a day-to-day basis.
Almost all of a layer pellet is, indeed, grain. But these grains can no longer absorb a bunch of fluid and become a massive health risk for the safety of your flock due to the way they’ve been processed.
Ultimately, if you want to avoid the problem with grains and other connected issues, your best bet is to not feed the grains unless the birds have good reason (and careful monitoring afterward) to have at them. Perhaps you’re trying to put on weight or add girth to a bird, but there is very little reason for that in today’s world.
What have your chickens gotten into that has cost you time and money? Any plants you feel made it here unfairly? Leave a comment down below, we’d love to hear from you!
This article was first published on Self-Sufficient Projects.
You may also like:
Are You Ready for the Upcoming Food Crisis?
Learn How to Make Each Hen Lay More Than 300 Eggs per Year (Video)
Rechargeable Emergency Items to Always Have in the House
Today our animals, pets, livestock are in danger from these Chinese nationals, illegals unvetted from countries that hate America. We have military age male an females, usually in the terrorist activity to destroy us.
The recent report of terror activities of giving commercial chicken flocks bird flu. The same is happening to cattle being given bird flu. What is next to our food crops on American soil?
‘Nobody saw this coming’; California dairies scramble to guard herds against bird flu
The Chinese mainly have hundreds of acres of American farmland next to military bases and civilian communities.
We can thank all of you who voted for the Biden crime family and other corrupt politicians bought an paid for by the Chinese CCP!
What reason does the one thumbs down have for disagreeing? If you read this I am really interested in why you disagree. Please do share.
Hey Let’s Go Brandon plans to let in Palestine refugees into America very soon!
What is very funny none of the middle countries want these Gaza pukes in their countries, But Biden will let them in.
Are you missing Trump lately?
Live today Columbia University Islamic protesters funded by Soros, a lot of middle eastern countries, even many universities across America are being fund by middle eastern countries.
This 2024 Summer of Love will be like the 1968 Chicago riots and Watt’s riots, none of those places ever came back to normal.
We have an invasion going on from the southern border.
God help this Christian nation ASAP!
Are farm animals next?
We know we got the best military an a direct confrontation would be all out, scorch earth policy. Today we got soft American of grade school public education that hates all things American. Easy to do a Trojan Horse on the current woke snowflakes on Tik-Tok.
The border is full of other countries criminals, mental patients and plain terrorist coming with evil intentions.
The Chinese plan in the chess mode, we plan in the game of checkers every 4 years of presidential elections.
People don’t understand that not in thoery but for real an adversary can take a country down without firing a lead bullet to kill.
Use natural an biological weapons to destroy their opponents, also things like social media Tik-Tok indoctrination.
So right now we are seeing biological weapons used here, bird flu on our farm animals.
What is going on those Chinese farmlands on America soil and what is coming across our open southern border to harm us?
TwitterWe know China supplies the basic chemicals for fentanyl to the Mexican drug cartels. Now what is going on with our national security food supply to keep us safe?
The first significant attack in modern history using bioweapons and defined as terroristic occurred in 1984, when followers of cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh infected 751 citizens of The Dalles, Oregon, with salmonella. Forty-five people were hospitalized. The precipitator was the sect’s intention to gain seats in the local county circuit court.7 In 1990, another cult began more comprehensive attempts to use biological weapons.
Future Bioterror and Biowarfare Threats for NATO’s Armed Forces until 2030
I Think the real issue is : trying to feed the animal, pets, food chain the same way we eat
anything , anywhere, and anytime
just like we , they should only eat as natural free range , growing in nature
not like we feed pigs , only food that grows naturally in the areas they are
grains, seeds, bugs, worms , different types of ants, spiders and such
Because mankind should never intervien where God made the Product .
Nature should stay organic, free range
When we let morons, villiage idiots , wealthy aristicrats determine our life , you get a cluster F— of stupid and idioocracy which only destroys , never build s
Life is created , and if you follow natural laws God Set in place you will live long and prosper
If you choose Wrong , you will suffer consequence , forgiveness , but consequence
Protect our backyard chickens and other animals from the horror.
There are potential hazards of Chinese American owned farms to produce tainted food, animal and vegetable foods produced enter our local and national food chain supplies to our local grocery stores.
The Chinese CCP already owns our major meat processing companies.
We could be starved out through our food chain distribution points, the corruption is just the tip of the iceberg involving civilian corporations and government. Who is on these corporation member boards and who is profiting from our food demise?
The enemy does not need to shoot their opponent, there are other ways to bring down a nation.
God help us, we pray.
Does anyone have a way they save dogfood long term? I looked and my bag expires august of 2025. Canned food is about the same. Anyone have a way or a different food source for the dog?
I wonder the same idea, don’t have a dog yet, do have a cat who grew up on the mean streets now eats kibble food and chickens.
The dog commercial tells dog food is dead food that can last years with no spoilage. The next questions are what is a safe food supply for those animals if we get into a (SHTF) economy where no more pet food is being made. Some pets did eat natural but now in a civil society what can we do for our pets or animals?
There are 25 year survival foods for humans, is there such a food for the Animals?
I imagine that food would not be cheap for the average pet and small hobby farm to afford.
What have other preppers found to help their animals, thanks?
I think the company, (veteran owned) Simply Clean Foods, provides long term food for dogs. Dogs are omnivores, so worse comes to worse you can feed them your survival foods too. Get freezer dried meats that last if Simply Clean Foods doesn’t work for you.
Feed raw. You probably have meat in your freezer
for yourself and vegetables you can steam and add. Kibble is to dogs what junk food is to us—-
next to no nutrition AND constant recalls because
of too much this or that sickening and killing our
beloved pets. I’ve been feeding raw for over 20+
years. Back then a holistic vet asked me what I was feeding my dog that developed cancer. I proudly said “IAMBS, the best”. He shook his head no and educated me. I never turned back and breathe a sigh of relief every time I hear another recall due to sickened and dead dogs.
Great question.
Chaplain Dan,
I do the same things for my pets as I would do for myself (they are family). Dry foods and treats are put in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, then put into the plastic buckets with more oxygen absorbers. The wet stuff can be freeze dried like anything else and placed in mylar. Hope this helps. 🙂
If funds allow (they’ve come down in price substantially) , you could freeze dry homemade game etc…for your pooch.
Being this is a topic about food for animals, I thought it would be a good place to put my question and comment regarding the carnivore diet for people. One of our relatives is all out on eating only carnivore and stating that vegetables want to kill us. I don’t buy this. If God created all things, why would he create vegetables that want to kill us? And why would he multiply the fishes and LOAVES if grains were all bad? I said if the plants are genetically modified then “maybe” I could go with that theory. I know this isn’t the perfect place for this comment, but it has been on my mind for months and I would appreciate other readers opinion
There is mass confusion on the human diet. We got militant vegans who want us to eat all veggies only. We got meat eaters that most of American’s diet is based on. We got social media influencers causing disruption on food diets.
We got misinformed liberals, the spiritual key to nirvana is to be a vegan, that is a myth. Gurus have eaten meat to their end of time.
All kinds of diets known to man have been tried or mandated by organized religions.
What it comes to is what works for each individual there is no cookie cutter one size fits all, only in dictator regimes to control a population, the Hermit Kingdom.
A natural diet of healthy foods balanced, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and grains eaten according to the our own needs. Not by repressive cults, one sided dietician’s opinions or some meddling foodie, let us eat what we want.
God gave us discernment of the truth.
”For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.„
I Timothy 4:4-5 NKJV
Is it about food or some other agenda perpetrated here?
Some people have Disney fairy tell ideas of what the bible stories mean then what they mean in reality. Our country has been hijacked by the woke inspired by the Marxism taught in public schools these days.
Rhubarb kills guineas and is toxic to chickens. They will look horrible and so will their eggs
NYC is seeing the beginning of the Islamic university and street Summer street riots.
Not happy with Biden bringing in Gaza refugees with all the Islamic terrorist here.
Whose country is this for?
I thought the rice problem was just people using INSTANT rice. Or even Uncle Bens’spar-boiled rice. Not regular rice.
One of our sons cooks their own food for their dog. He says it is cost comparable to foods on the market, and says it is also more nutritional. I would think if it is “cooked”, that like our foods, it is possible to ‘can it” too, giving it the same length of shelf life, as our “human food” has. I haven’t yet looked, but I would imagine that there are probably numerous recipes “on the net” someplace that will enable one to safely cook their pets own food. Maybe others can provide such information?
THANK YOU CLYDE FOR THIS SITE.
Re the Amish survey, your “Powered by SmartSurvey” software does not permit me to fully submit my answers. It will not accept my answer to the question regarding how I regard the Amish people. BTW, I regard them very highly..