Feeding & Nutrition

I’ll be upfront with you right from the start. I used to grab whatever chicken was on sale at the grocery store. “Free range.” “Natural.” “Organic.” I assumed they all meant the same thing, that the chickens lived good lives outside, ate clean food, and that the meat on my plate was healthy. I was … Read more

You are slicing a fresh pineapple in the yard and your flock is already sprinting toward you, necks stretched and eyes wide. Sound familiar? Before you toss them a chunk, it makes sense to know exactly what you are working with. Yes, chickens can eat pineapple. Pineapple is safe to feed chickens in moderation and with … Read more

Yes, chickens can eat mealworms, both dried and live, and they are one of the highest-protein treats available, with dried mealworms containing approximately 50 to 53% crude protein by weight. My flock goes absolutely insane for mealworms. Nothing else comes close in terms of excitement. However, there are two things most articles will not tell … Read more

Yes, chickens can safely eat ginger, fresh, dried, or powdered, and it is one of the few natural supplements with genuine, peer-reviewed scientific evidence backing its benefits for poultry health, egg quality, and digestive function. I started adding grated ginger to my flock’s feed during a harsh January cold snap after reading about its circulation-boosting … Read more

Yes, chickens can safely eat zucchini, including the flesh, seeds, skin, and flowers. With its 95% water content and just 17 calories per 100 grams, zucchini is one of the best summer treats you can offer your flock. Every summer my garden produces more zucchini than my family could ever eat. Splitting the oversized ones … Read more

Yes, chickens can safely eat sweet potatoes, and unlike regular white potatoes, sweet potatoes are not part of the nightshade family and contain absolutely zero solanine. This makes them one of the safest vegetable treats you can offer your flock. I have been feeding cooked sweet potato to my hens every winter for three years now, and … Read more

Yes, chickens can eat certain store-bought mushrooms, including button, oyster, shiitake, portobello, and cremini, but wild mushrooms growing in your yard can be toxic or even fatal. I have been feeding my flock small amounts of cooked button mushrooms for over three years with zero issues. But last spring, after a stretch of heavy rain, I found pale green-gilled mushrooms … Read more

It was January, 15°F outside, and my 12 hens had been cooped up for three straight days during a snowstorm. By day two, I noticed bare patches appearing on the backs of three hens. Feather pecking had started, the classic sign of winter boredom. That evening, I hung a whole cabbage from a piece of twine in the middle … Read more

If you are here because your chicken just ate some avocado, skip straight to the Emergency Response section below. For everyone else, this is the one treat article where my answer is fundamentally different from every other food I have covered on this site. Every other treat guide I have written, including blueberries, apples, corn, carrots, cheese, and celery, has been some variation … Read more

I almost learned the hard way about celery and chickens. One afternoon I tossed a few long celery stalks into the run, thinking it was a healthy, low-calorie treat. My Buff Orpington grabbed a whole stalk and started swallowing it. I watched in slow motion as a long string of celery fiber trailed from her beak into her throat. That … Read more