Concord grapes OK as a treat?

[goldeneggtees]

Hi, I love our new home! Our now wild concord grapes are finally ripening. The chickens love them but my question is, is it safe for them to eat? They jump up and try and get the ripe ones and have exhausted the supply there. So now I'm going higher and hand feeding them the riper ones. I was buying grapes for them at the store as a treat but it doesn't get any better than free ones!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Mine love to get under the grape arbor. I've never had a problem with them eating them.

 

[Whirlwind]

mine love them

 

[aussieheelr]

Absolutly!! The only problem is with seeds in grapes but other than that they're great. Mine love any grape they can get their beaks on in any form. Green, black, red grapes and raisens!

 

[gritsar]

Get ready for some strangely colored poos.

 

[goldeneggtees]

These have seeds, are the seeds bad for them?

Quote:

 

[GardeNerd]

I have read "no seeds" here at BYC as well, and after doing some reading elsewhere in medical resources, found out that the seeds contain proanthocyanidins. My understanding is these are not poisonous toxins to people or animals, despite what has been repeated around online by pet owners.

Here was one study I read. It was pretty clear about there were no adverse differences with or without the grape seeds in the diet of the rats long term.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12419686

Grape seed and grape seed extracts are actually used medicinally to treat a variety of problems in humans.

I have had no issues with my hens eating off our concord grape vine, and they have lots of small seeds. They jumped as high as they could for them off the vine all summer. They are the chickens' favorite out of our 5 varieties that currently produce, but they eat them all. I don't worry about it.

Edited to add the link.

 

[cnj-tx50]

Grapes are a favorite treat of my girls and guy, and this summer when it was over 100 degrees I froze them and Oh My what a funny sight that was!! I have only bought grapes and some stores here have a over ripe section the produce so that is what they get!!!

 

[karl lutz]

I have been giving mine tomatoes as a treat [when I cant find any frogs or mice.

 

[Chew593]

Thank heavens for this post I just caught my flock inhaling my grapes right off the vine and paniced that it might not be good for them... I'll let them keep eating because I'm not happy with these grapes, but they sure do love them!