What is safe and unsafe for your chicken

Treats are special and are meant to be a supplement for what your chickens are normally fed. While an excited response from your chickens to special treats probably makes you feel good, you need to be cautious to keep your treat distribution within reason. Obesity in chickens is a growing problem and the cause can often be traced right back to the person behind the feeding, so keep it to a minimum for the health and well-being of your chickens.

More and more items both safe and unsafe are being discovered all the time, so the suggestions below are by no means meant to be taken as a complete list but rather general ideas.

Unsafe feeds:
Avocado skins & pits, Citrus fruits,

Raw Eggs (this encourages chickens to eat their own eggs or those of their flock mates)

Sugary foods (such as cookies, frosted cereals, etc.)

Salty foods (small quantities of salt can cause poisoning in chickens)

Raw green potato peels (these contain a toxic substance called Solanine)

Beans that are dried or undercooked (contain a poison called Hemaglutin which is toxic to birds)

Moldy foods (veggies, breads, cheese, etc. that are past their consumption prime)

Safe feeds or treats
Safe fruits (such as apples, bananas without the peel, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pears, raisins, peaches, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, and pomegranates)

Safe vegetables (such as asparagus, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, kale, collards, spinach, corn, cucumbers, peas, potatoes (cooked and without peels), radish tops, sprouts, squash, tomatoes, turnips, and beans (thoroughly cooked, never dry).

Bread & Cheese

Whole grain cereal

Meats, fish, and seafood (not raw)

Eggs (cooked) and egg shells (ground up in feed)

Mealworms ,Oatmeal (be careful to avoid oatmeal with unsafe fruits or sugars)

Sunflower Seeds (salt free)

There are many more options for safe foods to feed your chickens, just as there are unsafe foods. Be vigilant in your choices so you do not make your chickens ill. It is also possible to alter the taste of your eggs by feeding your chickens items like onions or garlic