Typically, the diet of most chickens consists of grain grit and a bug here and there. That doesn’t mean you can’t feed them other things, but you do have to be careful. There are some foods chickens should never eat. These foods include junk food, candy, and processed treats. Feeding your chickens these things could make them sick and even result in death. It’s just not a good idea. So, what can chickens eat? Can they eat pineapple?
Chickens can in fact eat pineapple, and most of them find it to be a tasty treat. However, there are both advantages and disadvantages to feeding your chickens this fruit. Read the information listed below, and then decide if feeding your chickens pineapple is the right move. So, let’s start with the advantages of feeding your chickens pineapple.
The advantages of feeding your chickens pineapple
Why do some farmers feed their chickens pineapple scraps? If fed in moderation, pineapple can be quite beneficial to a chickens health. In fact, feeding your chickens pineapple scraps can keep them healthy by boosting their immune system. This in return will also help prevent your chickens from getting sick. The healthier your chickens, the bigger they’ll grow, and the more they’ll be worth.
In addition to boosting the immune system, pineapple also have a lot of other benefits as well. Pineapple has absolutely no cholesterol, no saturated fats, and is a great source of bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme that helps with the digestion of food. Bromelain is also known to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-clotting traits too.
To add to this, consuming pineapple on a regular basis has been shown to help protect against worms, fight against arthritis, and help with indigestion issues. If that’s not enough, pineapple is also one of the best sources of vitamin C. Not only is vitamin C great for strengthening the immune system, this vitamin is essential for producing collagen synthesis within the chickens body.
The disadvantage of feeding your chickens pineapple
Chickens are like humans in the fact that we all have different tastes. Although most chickens do like pineapple scraps, not all do. Some chickens don’t prefer pineapple at all. As a result, the scraps that go uneaten will eventually rot and begin to stink. The best thing to do is see which of your chickens like the pineapple and which ones don’t. You can then judge how much pineapple you should lay about in your yard. For the ones that don’t, you’ll need to lay chicken feed instead, so they don’t go hungry.
Another disadvantage of feeding your chickens pineapple is that some chickens have a hard time digesting the pineapple. In return, the chickens that do have a hard time digesting the pineapple may not get the nutrients necessary to lay healthy eggs on a regular basis. Although this is an issue for some chickens, not all of them have this issue. Chickens especially have a hard time digesting pineapple when they are given too much of it. Moderation is very important.
A few guidelines about feeding your chickens pineapple
If you do decide to feed your chickens pineapple, whether it be pineapple from a can, pineapple rinds, or other pineapple scraps, don’t over feed them this fruit. Like mentioned above, feeding your chickens too much pineapple can cause digestive problems.
Another thing you’ll want to remember is to never feed your chicken pineapple that’s either under ripe or overly ripe. Why might you ask? Chickens do not like the taste of under ripe or overly ripe pineapple, and the extra acidity in this fruit can also cause your chickens to experience severe digestive problems.
If you’re unsure if pineapple is ready to be consumed by your chickens, try pulling one of the leaves off the pineapple. If it can be removed easily, you know the pineapple is ready. You’ll also want to feel the firmness of the pineapple. If the pineapple feels mushy, then the pineapple might just be too ripe and maybe even rotten.
Lastly, if you are concerned about the matter, you can always feed your chickens dried pineapple. Dried pineapple usually doesn’t cause digestive problems in chickens, and it tends to last longer too. You can buy packaged, dried pineapple at most grocery stores. Dried pineapple is believed to be better for them than pineapple scraps.
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Alex Wang
Friday 20th of March 2020
Chickens can synthesize their own vitamin C, like most animals, so pineapple's vitamic c is not necessary.