Customers who contact Cackle Hatchery® frequently ask questions about feeding their flocks. Below are 17 of the most common questions our team is asked regarding feeding chickens.
What do chickens eat?
What chickens eat depends on their stage of growth. Confined chickens eat commercially formulated chick starter when they’re young and commercial layer ration when they’re old enough to start laying eggs. Free range chickens eat a lot of insects, tender grasses, and weeds. But they also need commercial ration to round out nutrients.
How much do chickens eat?
How much chickens eat depends on a number of factors. These factors include age, breed, season, degree of activity, and condition of health. Also the ration’s palatability and texture, and its energy and protein content. Depending on the breed’s size, one chicken will average between ½ pound (bantams) and 4 pounds (heavy breeds) of feed per week.
Are chickens herbivores?
No. Chickens are not herbivores. They eat a lot of plant material, but they also eat meat in the form of insects, worms, snails, slugs, mice, lizards, and frogs.
Are chickens omnivores?
Yes. Chickens eat a variety of both plants and animals.
Can chickens eat bananas?
Yes. Chickens can eat both the banana fruit and the peel. Before feeding the peel, wash it in case it has been sprayed with harmful chemicals.
Will chickens eat bananas?
Yes. Chickens love bananas, especially over-ripe bananas. As with all things, feed bananas only in moderation
Can chickens eat tomatoes?
This is one of the top questions our team answers about feeding chickens. The answer is yes. Mature chickens can eat fully ripe or over-ripe tomatoes. But they should not be fed tomato stems and leaves, which are toxic.
Can chickens eat bread?
Chickens love bread, but feeding bread to chickens is not a good idea because it’s not very nutritious. Chickens that eat too much bread don’t have enough room left to eat a proper diet containing the nutrients they need to remain healthy and lay eggs.
Can chickens eat apples?
Yes. Chickens can eat apple fruit with skin, but not the seeds, which are toxic to chickens.
Will chickens eat apples?
Yes. Chickens will eat cored apples, peel and all. But they don’t like apple peels fed separately, because the peels are too tough.
Can chickens eat mushrooms?
Chickens can eat any kind of mushroom a human can eat. Like humans, chickens should never eat mushrooms that are toxic.
Will chickens eat mushrooms?
Chickens don’t care much for raw mushrooms. They will eat mushrooms, and digest them better, when the mushrooms are cooked until soft, but without butter, oil, or salt.
Will chickens eat slugs?
Yes. Chickens will eat slugs. So don’t put out slug bait where chickens are likely to find and eat poisoned slugs — the poisoned slugs will poison the chickens.
Can chickens eat watermelon?
Yes. Chickens can eat watermelon — fruit, rind, seeds, peel, and all.
Will chickens eat watermelon?
Absolutely. Chickens of all ages love watermelon. They especially like cold watermelon on a hot day.
Can chickens eat pumpkin?
Yes. Chickens can eat pumpkin.
Will chickens eat pumpkins?
Yes. Chickens love pumpkins, raw or cooked, including the seeds. Actually, they like any kind of squash. Just cut the squash in half, set it down, and stand back.
And that’s today’s news from the Cackle Coop.
If you have questions about feeding chickens, please feel free to contact us here at Cackle Hatchery.
