If chickens can't taste sweetness...

[PrimeFactor]

...WHY do mine consistently like fruits better than vegetables???

I've read that chickens cannot taste sweetness. I'm not disputing the science, but curious about others' experience. When I give my chickens their daily "salad" of mixed veggies & fruits, they always pick out the fruits first.

Does not seem to be a color thing as some articles have suggested -- they've had both vegetables and fruits in a veritable rainbow of colors, and still consistently eat fruit first.

For that matter, when I bring out random one-off fruit or vegetable scraps while cooking, they sprint to get at fruit, and are more "Okay, sure. Whatever..." about the vegetable scraps.

What is your experience?

 

[Woytgirl]

My experience is the same as yours. They love fruits.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Like I have said many times, vegetables (especially green vegetables) are way over rated as chicken feed.

 

[GRB73]

My girls love both veggies and fruit but I think they may be more attracted to the bright colors of fruit, not so much the sweetness. For example, raw cranberries are not sweet, but the girls go nuts over them. They can see the flash of red from across the yard, then they come running as fast as their chicken legs will take them. It's really funny to watch.

 

[GRB73]

My girls love both veggies and fruit but I think they may be more attracted to the bright colors of fruit, not so much the sweetness. For example, raw cranberries are not sweet, but the girls go nuts over them. They can see the flash of red from across the yard, then they come running as fast as their chicken legs will take them. It's really funny to watch.

 

[Chickenmamalizzy]

My chickens definitely love sweets and prefer something sweet over anything else if given the option. One hen goes absolutely crazy for white cake with frosting... One of my roosters is addicted to getting a few bites of cheesecake before bedtime and my entire flock prefers red grapes over popcorn and devours those first when its snack time.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Maybe it's the color....? My girls LOVE red cabbage but wont touch green cabbage... I don't know why

 

[DonyaQuick]

From what I've read on it, I don't think they lack the ability to taste sweet so much as that they have a reduced sense of it compared to what we experience. Even with a reduced ability to detect sweet flavors, I'm pretty sure I would still prefer grapes to kale LOL.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My girls love both veggies and fruit but I think they may be more attracted to the bright colors of fruit, not so much the sweetness. For example, raw cranberries are not sweet, but the girls go nuts over them. They can see the flash of red from across the yard, then they come running as fast as their chicken legs will take them. It's really funny to watch.

Chickens love Bitter/Sour flavors that's why they go nuts for cranberry. Chickens hate salty from what I've read.

I do believe they can taste sweet, they really love watermelon, strawberries, green grapes, Apples just to name a few.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Chickens hate salty from what I've read.

Someone needs to tell this to my flock of french fry demons