What fruits can they have?

[lablover]

I saw a bowl of fruit at the store today that looked like a good assortment of treats for my small flock. It had pineapples, honeydew, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and apples in it. Are theses all okay for them? Also, mine have discovered how much they LOVE watermelon. How much and how often can they have it. I have several pieces of rind that have almost an inch of the fruit left, and I've been splitting them in half and giving them as a cool treat everyday.

 

[Judy]

Here's a link to the BYC treats chart https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

Really they can eat most anything you can, other than chocolate, and a lot of sugar or salt is not good. But keep in mind you can throw their nutrition off badly if they eat too much, to the exclusion of feed or forage. One rule of thumb I've read is, not over 10% of their daily intake.

 

[chfite]

I would limit treats. As with children, they can fill up on junk, then laying suffers. Mine get all manner of left over fruit and vegetables as well as the trimmings from the processing. If they pig out on one day, laying dips two days later. They have freely available feed and water, so it is the treats that seem to matter.

I doubt it will hurt them. When the grandchildren's friends visit, we have fewer eggs for a couple of days. They relish giving the chickens treats, because the chickens act so enthusiastically for them.

Chris

 

[Barrdwing]

With parrots, star fruit and avocado can be toxic, so I assume the same for chickens. But the fruits that you saw in that salad are all ones that I've fed our own birds, with no ill effects (apart from having chickens chase me down the garden path thinking I'm holding back more goodies!)

 

[lablover]

Okay, then I definitely need to limit treats! With this little salad bowl, treats will be easier to limit. I just wasn't sure about the honeydew and the pineapple, but the treat chart has helped A LOT! Even though the flock is 3 1/2 months old, I'm just starting to introduce them to new foods, and they are very cautious!

 

[hurricanerb]

My sister likes to give their chickens banana peels. Low glycemic index, so not too much sugar, and they enjoy it as a toy and as a treat.

 

[Sunshine 123]

What can't they eat besides avocado skin or pit?