Can chickens eat cantaloupe melons? The answer is yes! However, before you stuff your henhouse with these yummy and juicy fruits, there are a few vital chicken diet nuances to consider. Because we all like to give our chickens a little treat now and again, and feeding fruits and vegetables to hens can have many …
Feeding vegetables to chickens has many benefits – they add variety to their diet, provide essential nutrients, and can save money on those pesky chicken feed bills! But can chickens eat broccoli grown in your garden? What about leftover broccoli from your dinnertime prep? Or oven-cooked broccoli? Let’s explore whether or not chickens can safely …
Can chickens eat tomatoes? Yes! Chickens love tomatoes! This tomato and chicken diet question brings me back to my early youth. Watching chickens roaming and foraging around the yard was always one of my favorite childhood pastimes in the countryside. I loved testing the things our chickens would eat. I would offer them anything we had …
What can chickens eat? Well, chickens are omnivores! They can eat both meat and plants. Many chicken owners feed their chickens chicken feed purchased from the local feed mill, but you can provide your chickens with much more variety by offering food scraps from your table, weeds from the garden, or even insects and worms. …
Pineapples are a popular fruit among humans, but can chickens eat pineapples? It’s a question many chicken owners find themselves asking, often while holding a leftover can or bowl of fruit! We researched from several academic archives and scholarly journals to see whether chickens can eat pineapples. Or not! This article contains our findings – …
Fermenting chicken feed may be the newest trend in chicken-keeping, but what is it, and is it worth your precious time and effort? It certainly could be. But there’s debate on the topic! Read on to find out if fermenting chicken feed is the right choice for your flock. We also share our favorite fermented …
If cows, sheep, or horses live on your homestead, you will likely have come across alfalfa. This versatile animal food contains loads of nutritional benefits and is excellent for keeping your farm livestock in prime condition. But what about your backyard chickens? Can chickens eat alfalfa too? Maybe you’ve thought about growing alfalfa to feed …
Very few natural phenomena cause as much disgust in humans as a clump of tiny, wiggly maggots. However, your chickens have a completely different perspective. To an average chicken, maggots are equivalent to French fries. They don’t care if they’re on wet feed, excrement, or rotting flesh – a fine batch of maggots is too …
When I first considered raising hens on my backyard hobby farm, one benefit rose quickly to the forefront – no more wasting food! Two of my three kids are champion food wasters. Well, the chickens will eat it, soon became a normal part of the post-meal cleanup in our house. Over time, I learned that giving …
For many years, I only fed my chickens whole or cracked corn. I hoped they were getting all the nutrients needed from the bugs, seeds, fruit, and the surrounding pasture. After a while, however, I noticed my chickens were hardly producing any eggs. Out of 14 hens, I was lucky if I got an egg …
It’s safe to say that chicken lovers can get a bit obsessive about their hens! There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t spend a few moments watching our hens scratch about, going all misty-eyed at their adorable quirks and personalities. And when it comes to chicken coops, it seems we’re never quite …
There’s nothing more appreciative than a chicken at dinner time! One of our favorite games is calling the hens over for treats – the way they sprint to us across the meadow like wild beasts of the Serengeti is adorable! But as much as they enjoy our leftover scraps and treats from the vegetable garden, …
At some point or another – most homesteaders and chicken parents usually ask the following questions. Can chickens eat banana peels? And is it safe for chickens to eat banana peels? Maybe you’re trying to figure out a way to lighten the cost of chicken feed – or you’ve recently noticed that your hungry flock …
Introducing our 5-gallon bucket chicken feeder! I first saw this idea for a vermin-proof chicken feeder on a local gardening show, and then my favorite permaculture farm made one as well. At the time, I was skeptical. I mean, chickens aren’t particularly smart… Could they figure out how to get the food out? Turns out …
Chickens have a surprisingly varied diet and will gulp down the most disgusting-looking insects and worms just as happily as they will their normal chicken feed. As chickens enjoy a wide range of different foods, you can easily find tasty treats for them. Admittedly, mine get little more than a few comfrey leaves in the …