Can chickens safely eat tomatoes and lettuce?

[GroovyFarmer]

I always thought that it was fine to feed my chickens that stuff, but apparently tomatoes are a pretty big no-no and lettuce can cause colic. The tomato one is especially strange for me because I know that my chickens go pretty wild over that and I've seen plenty of people feed their own chickens that stuff with no problem. Thoughts?

 

[Trish1974]

I'm pretty sure tomatoes are on the "safe" list. I have been giving my flock tomatoes here and there and they seem fine.

 

[itspebbl]

Yes, those are fine. Chickens can eat eat almost all fruits and veggies.

 

[Teila]

Howdy GroovyFarmer

My bantam girls love tomato and lettuce.

I believe the “big no-no” with tomatoes is not the tomato themselves but the leaves of the plant, being members of the nightshade family. However, I have read heaps of posts from people whose chickens also eat the tomato plants.

The issue with lettuce is apparently that it is not a very nutritious food.

In our hot summers the gals love their lettuce, tomato and watermelon which aid with keeping them hydrated.

 

[chickens really]

I actually plant my tomato plants in large pots outside my coop door for the fact that my birds will not touch the plant or the fruit either..I have never fed my Chickens tomatoes...I do feed Romain lettuce...Iceburg lettuce is the one they say not to feed because it can cause watery poop...I feed my Chickens more cucumbers, apples, pumpkin, squash, purple cabbage, corn on the cob and many other fruits and veggies...They also love cooked elbow macaroni .....

Cheers

 

[CluckerCottage]

tomatoes and lettuce (we grow Romaine) are fine for chickens.
my flock gets fresh fruits and veggies daily.

 

[GroovyFarmer]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! They sure made me feel a whole lot better about feeding that stuff to my chickens. I thought I had been poisoning my flock all this time! What a relief!

 

[PetesChicks]

Lettuce is one my girls don't seem to care about. I would pick some (Red leaf) lettuce from the garden and put it in their run, it would still be there a couple hours later. Tomatoes - they go nuts! Ever see a 3 month old silkie try to pick up a tomato and run away from the other girls?

They also like cherries (without the pit), and grapes. And CORN is the favorite. I'll break an ear up into a few pieces, and they go nuts for it. My shy girl will wait off to the side & pick up any kernels that go flying, then get the cob when the other girls have had their full and go back to looking for bugs & stuff.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Do you peel the cucumber before feeding it to your chickens?

 

[GroovyFarmer]

For cucumbers, what I like to do is slice them in half down the long side and let my chickens pick at it.