Chickens are fun to own, and they can lay eggs for you. Similar to other pets, they require special care and looking after. This means they require nutrient-rich foods such as strawberries in their diet. But, can chickens eat strawberries?
“In short, yes, your chickens will happily eat strawberries. They love the sweet and sour taste of strawberries, and they will stop at nothing when you feed them strawberries. However, fruits like strawberries should only be fed in moderation.”
While strawberries and rich in nutrients and your chickens love them but, there’s something you should know. Strawberries are rich in sugars. They have a high concentration of sugar, which makes them harmful to your chickens.
Worried about strawberries being harmful to your chickens? Stop. Strawberries are perfectly safe for your chickens as long as they’re fed in moderation.
Feeding them within certain limits will ensure your chickens benefit from the nutritious benefits of strawberries. This will lead to your chickens being happy and lay better eggs.
Feeding Strawberries To Your Flock – Can Strawberries Be Harmful To Them?
Beware, feeding strawberries to your chickens will lead to serious health concerns. But, only if you overfeed them.
Chickens love to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. These include strawberries, grapes, bananas, leftovers, and kitchen scraps. Yes, you heard it. They will eat almost everything.
But that doesn’t mean you can feed them the same foods repeatedly. The reason behind keeping your chicken’s fruit intake limited is the fact that most fruits have high sugar content.
Thus, keeping their diet balanced and variable will ensure your chickens are healthy both physically and mentally.
Besides, a healthy diet will ensure your chickens lay good eggs.
1) Can Chickens Eat Strawberry Tops (Calyx)?
Chickens can eat strawberry tops, but they are harmful to them. Strawberries are often sprayed with pesticides to ensure they are protected against pest attacks.
Sprayed pesticides are often left on strawberries and are often hard to remove. Unless you soak them in water and vinegar for a period of 15 minutes.
This is why strawberry tops should never be fed to your chickens. In case your chickens eat the strawberry tops (Calyx), they will suffer from diarrhea.
You should immediately have your chickens checked by a vet and avoid feeding them strawberries as a first-aid measure.
2) Are Strawberry Leaves Or Stems Safe For Your Chickens?
It is not healthy for chickens to eat strawberry leaves or stems. Always feed your chickens the actual fruit and avoid feeding them the leaves or stems.
They are covered with pesticides and are poisonous to your chickens. They will stress the digestion of your chickens and should be avoided at all costs.
Even if you mistakenly feed them strawberry leaves or stems, your chickens will most likely avoid eating that part. They mainly focus on the actual fruit and are tempted by the sweet and sour taste of strawberries.
Besides, your chickens should not have more than 10% of strawberries and other sugary foods in their diet. Overfeeding them or not having a proper diet for your chickens will lead to poor egg production.
3) Steps To Prepare Strawberries For Your Pet Chickens:
Strawberries require little to no preparation since you really don’t have to do anything other than washing them.
Your chickens will not question the cleanliness of the strawberries. They will be tempted by the bright reddish colors of strawberries and will instantly start eating them.
Since they can’t eat them whole, you don’t have to worry about your chickens choking on them.
Strawberries are often sprayed with pesticides, and feeding them to your chickens will lead to adverse effects. This is why you need to wash them thoroughly to ensure there are no pesticides on the strawberries.
In addition, you can also try feeding them strawberries along with other foods. This will ensure your chicken’s diet is not fixed and can benefit from different fruits and vegetables.
4) How Many Strawberries Are Enough?
In short, one or two strawberries will do the trick. Anything more than 2 strawberries will be harmful to your chickens. Since strawberries are high in sugars, they should be considered a treat rather than a part of their diet.
5) 3 Factors To Consider When Feeding Strawberries To Chickens:
The first and foremost factor you need to consider is that your chickens only require 1 or 2 strawberries.
Overfeeding them or feeding them strawberries every day will lead to adverse health effects. This is why you should provide your chickens with a balanced diet.
Besides, prior to feeding strawberries to your chickens, make sure they’re raw and fresh.
Fun fact – Feeding strawberries to your chickens at the start of the day will lead to better digestion.
6) Is Egg Production Affected By Feeding Strawberries To Chickens?
In short, yes, it can affect the quantity and quality of eggs.
Here’s how. Chickens treat foods in a different way than us. This is why you require prior knowledge before feeding anything to your chickens.
If your chicken’s diet is not balanced, it will significantly affect your chickens in a negative way. This will also result in poor eggs. In addition, it will also lower the amount or number of eggs that your chicken lay.
Raise Your Flock’s Immunity By Feeding Them Strawberries! – Nutritional Content
Strawberries are rich in nutrients, and there is no denying the fact that they’re one of the healthiest foods. They are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and other essentials.
Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and minerals.
A cup of strawberries has approximately:
| 2 mg vitamin K | 6 mg iron | 220 mg potassium | 6 mcg folate | 7 mg vitamin C |
| 1 mg vitamin B6 | 6 mg manganese | 7 mg magnesium | 1 mg copper | 6 mg phosphorus |
As you can see, strawberries have most of the essential nutrients that your chicken needs. But, keep in mind strawberries have a high concentration of sugars as well. One cup serving of strawberries will provide approximately:
| 49 calories | 1 gram of carbohydrates | 9 grams of fiber |
| 1 gram of protein | 4 g fat |
The Composition Of A Strawberry:
Strawberries are rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Here is a detailed composition of strawberries.
1) Pelargonidin:
Strawberries have pelargonidin in them, which is a compound responsible for the color of strawberries.
2) Ellagic acid:
Ellagic acid is found in strawberries and can help boost your chicken’s health.
3) Ellagitannins:
Ellagitannins are found in strawberries and are responsible for boosting the immunity of your chickens. It can help eliminate the presence of bacteria in your chicken’s digestive system.
4) Procyanidins:
Procyanidins are found in the seeds and flesh of strawberries. They can also help maintain your chicken’s health.
10 Health Gains Of Strawberries – Your Flock Will Love You For This!
Strawberries are nutrient-rich, and not only are they tasty, but they can also boost your chicken’s health in different ways.
They can help your chickens fight against chronic diseases and improve the heart health of your chickens.
Below are some of the health benefits of feeding strawberries to your chickens.
- Feeding strawberries to your chicken in a balanced diet can help prevent heart diseases in your chickens.
- Strawberries have a compound, namely, anthocyanins. They are found to be beneficial in improving the heart health of your birds. Anthocyanins can also reduce diseases linked to the heart.
- Strawberries are found to maintain blood pressure.
- Making strawberries a part of your chicken’s diet will ensure cholesterol levels are under control.
- In addition, strawberries can help improve HDL in your chickens.
Other health benefits of strawberries include:
- Strawberries can help reduce inflammation in your chickens.
- It can help regulate antioxidant pressure.
- Strawberries are found to be beneficial in terms of improving vascular function.
- It can help improve the blood lipid profile.
- Feeding strawberries to your chickens can reduce the harmful antioxidants.
For other nutrient-rich foods, you can feed your flock treats like celery and watermelon.
What Are Some Safe Foods For Chickens?
Chickens can eat anything that has been fed to them. But, only a few of them are actually safe for your chicken.
If you’re worried about not finding the right foods for your chicken, here are some safe foods to add to your chicken’s diet.
| Beets | Asparagus – in small amounts. On a side note, it can alter the taste of their eggs. | Beans – cooked. Never feed them raw. |
| Brussel sprouts | Broccoli | Carrots |
| Cucumbers | Corn | Cauliflower |
| Cabbage | Eggplant – only ripe | Garlic – good for the immunity system. |
| Bell peppers | Peas | Popped popcorn |
| Pomegranate | Potatoes – not white ones. Avoid peels. | Squash |
| Pumpkin | Turnips – only cooked | Zucchini |
1) Fruits:
| Peaches | Raising | Cherries |
| Grapes | Melons | Berries – Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries |
| Apples – with no seeds |
2) Bread/Grain:
| Pasta – cooked | Sugar-free cereals | Whole grains bread |
| Brown rice – cooked | Grits – cooked | Quinoa |
3) Dairy:
You can also feed cheese to your chickens. But make sure they’re small slices and not too much. The reason behind feeding cheese in moderation is that most of the chickens have a hard time digesting lactose.
Chickens can eat plain yogurt. But, similar to cheese, you only need to feed yogurt to your chickens in moderation. Besides, keep an eye out on your chickens for adverse health effects. In case you see any changes in your chickens, you should not feed them yogurt.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Can Chickens Eat Wild Strawberries?
Can they? Of course. They can eat wild strawberries. In fact, chickens love eating them since they’re luscious.
Since they love eating wild strawberries, you should have enough for every one of your chickens. Or, you might create an instant war.
Chickens can happily eat wild strawberries, their tops, and in fact, the whole plant. They will stop at nothing. But, make sure there’s no mold on the strawberries.
2) Do Strawberries Have Their Seeds Outside?
Unlike other fruits or berries, strawberries do not have seeds. The seed-like things that you see on the fruit are merely the ovaries of the plant. They are referred to as an achene.
Every achene you see on the fruit has an individual seed. But, the fact that strawberries are not grown from their seeds, the achenes can not be referred to as seeds.
3) What Is The Importance Of Eating Strawberries In Moderation For Your Chickens?
Strawberries have a significantly high concentration of sugars. This is why they should never be overfed to your chickens. If your chickens eat too many strawberries, they will exhibit signs of poor metabolism.
Since a chicken’s digestive system or stomach can not metabolize sugar, it will lead to weight gain. This will also stress their heart and will lead to heart-related problems. This is why feeding strawberries to your chickens in moderation is of significant importance.
4) When Is The Perfect Time To Give Your Chickens Strawberries?
The perfect time to give your chickens strawberries is the start of the day. At this time, chickens will easily digest strawberries and will not have any trouble eating them whatsoever.
On a side note, feeding them strawberries on a hot summer day will help them lower their body temperature. This will allow your chickens to better manage the heat.
Another reason to feeds strawberries to your chickens in the summer is that they contain water. It will help your chickens stay hydrated on a hot summer day.
5) Can Baby Chicks Eat Strawberries?
No, baby chicks can not eat strawberries safely. They need a chick-friendly diet, and feeding sugary fruits such as strawberries will be harmful to baby chicks.
However, you can try feeding them small bits of strawberries to make sure they can benefit from them. Feeding them small bits will also help you eliminate any risks of choking.
Key Takeaways:
- Your flock will enjoy the most fruit snacks. But, make sure you cut hard fruits into small pieces. This will help lower the chances of your chickens choking on them.
- While chickens can eat anything, but you should have prior knowledge of the safe foods for them. Feeding them certain foods that are toxic will lead to your chickens not laying good eggs.
- From a health perspective, strawberries are excellent because they add many essential nutrients to your chicken’s diet.
- Chickens should have a varied diet. This is because chickens get bore of the same repetitive diet and need constant changes in their daily food intake.
- Fungus and rotten food are very bad for your chickens. Always clean their coops. In addition, routinely remove any old or leftover food.
- If your chicken has diarrhea, treat it immediately; Otherwise, you run the risk of losing it.
- Feeding your chickens strawberries or, actually, any fruit is all about balance. Every food has its advantages and disadvantages and therefore should be fed in moderation.
Conclusion:
Chickens can happily eat strawberries and will have no trouble digesting them. But there’s only a certain amount of strawberries that you can feed to your chicken. Feed no more than 1 or 2 strawberries to your chickens.
Strawberries are high in sugars and will make your chickens put on some extra weight and affect the quality and quantity of their eggs. This is why moderation is the key when it comes to maintaining your chicken’s health.
Besides, chickens can eat kitchen scraps and leftovers. Feeding them scraps will keep their diet varied, and your chickens will not get bored of their diet.