Someone in the family gave the chickens papaya seeds! Need advice!!!

[Farmgirl283420]

As I said someone in the family gave the chickens papaya seeds I read articles that said it's fine and others that said it's bad!!! I'm so worried is something going to happen to my beloved girls? Are they going to be okay please please please please help!!!!!!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My standing advice to all chicken keepers is - Don't stress till there is something to be stressed about. Chickens are hardy and resilient, I wouldn't worry.
The best way to have problems with chickens is to coddle them. Let them forage, eat what they want and give them huge amounts of fresh air.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I read something that said it could cause an internal blockage if they got this how could I tell and what could I do?!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm not aware of any internal blockage they could cause. If a whole kernel of corn doesn't cause blockage, I don't know how papaya seeds could.
Papaya seeds are highly nutritious and high in polyphenols and flavonoids. I consider that good for chickens.
I think it really helps to fully understand a chicken's digestive tract. Everything they eat is aided by the tongue to pass directly into the crop. It is an expanded and expandable segment of the esophagus and can handle all sorts of sizes and shapes of feedstuffs from tiny seeds to mice. Everything then passes farther along into the proventriculus (true stomach) where digestive enzymes are added. From there it enters the gizzard, the mechanical stomach where everything is ground up before going to the rest of the digestive tract.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

You don't think so? Thank goodness thank you for responding and for all your help!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Again, I must say, when raising chickens, relax and don't obsess about anything.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

A chickens digestive system is made for digesting things like seeds. If a chicken can eat rocks a few seeds won’t kill them.

 

[Dinoroar]

Where did you read papaya seeds are a problem for chickens? I would not think twice about feeding them to my chickens.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Just on the internet thank you so much I love BYC everyone is helpful!