What Can Chickens Eat? A Guide to Feeding Your Chickens

Are you looking to provide the best care and diet for the special chickens in your life? If so, you’re in the right place! While there are a variety of foods a chicken can eat, a chicken diet doesn’t have to be complicated. As long as they eat a balanced diet and have access to clean water, they should be good to go! 

To make sure you can provide your chickens with all the necessary nutrients, we’re going to answer one of the most important questions a chicken owner has: what can chickens eat? We’ll also answer what they shouldn’t eat.

A Balanced Diet

Just like people, chickens need a balanced diet to help them live a long, happy, and healthy life. Their diet should consist of protein, grains, vegetables, fruit, and water to make sure they get all the important nutrients.

A high-quality, complete chicken feed will give your chicken all of its needed nutrients. You can also make your own feed and/or provide snacks from home to your chicks. Make sure the food you give your chickens doesn’t have any added preservatives that could be harmful.

Protein

Chicken diets should always consist of protein for strong, healthy muscles. If you have hens who lay eggs, protein is especially important considering they lose nutrients from protein during birth.

Protein can come from soybeans, hens’ eggs, insects found outside, and a commercial chicken feed. Most chickens also enjoy eating raw or cooked fish as long as there’s nothing extra added such as seasoning or batter.

Grains

Chickens get their vitamins and protein from grains. Grains usually come from chicken scratch and if you spread it around their chicken run, searching for it can also be a fun activity! You can also provide your flock with small portions of brown rice and quinoa for healthy grains.

Vegetables

We know how important veggies are as a source of various beneficial nutrients and the same goes for our chickens. Raw vegetables that chickens eat include carrots, kale, cabbage, and broccoli. They can also enjoy grass in the yard only if it’s not treated with pesticides.

Fruit

Like vegetables, raw fruit is a great source of nutrients for chickens. Most commonly, chickens eat bananas, apples, berries, and melons. These can be used as yummy treats!

Water

Chickens certainly need clean, fresh water available to them at all times! Make sure water is always easily accessible by keeping it in or near the chicken coop.

Replenish your chickens’ waterer daily, especially on warm days when algae can occur. Just like people, chickens will avoid drinking dirty water. 

If you live in a place that gets cold in the winter, be sure you have a water heater to prevent the water from freezing.

What Chickens Eat FAQ

Let’s take a look at some common questions when it comes to what chickens eat.

What type of chicken feed should I give my chickens?

The type of chicken feed you use will depend on your flock. It’s best to start with grower feed (this is a great option!) for chicks, then transition into providing layer feed (something like this). Keep in mind that roosters shouldn’t consume layer feed as the calcium can be harmful and even deadly.

All-flock feed is ideal for mixed flocks because it provides enough calcium for the hens but not too much to harm the roosters.

How many times a day should I feed my chickens?

There isn’t a specific rule of thumb when it comes to how many times per day you should feed your chicken. The key is that they have enough food at all times. 

Some chicken keepers put food out once or twice per day while others do it when the feeder is close to empty.  Consider your schedule and what will work best in terms of a routine for feeding your chickens. 

How much do you feed chickens?

This can vary depending on your flock and who you ask. The best way to determine how much your chickens need to eat is by providing food once per day in several feeders (depending on how many chickens you have) and making sure they have plenty. At the end of the day, see how much is left. Do this over time to determine how much your chickens usually eat in a day. 

The good news is that you can’t really overfeed a chicken a healthy diet. Just be sure not to give too many treats!

What can chickens eat for treats?

Keep your flock happy by providing delicious but healthy treats! Treats that chickens eat can include pieces of fruits and vegetables mentioned above (i.e. broccoli, carrots, berries, apples, bananas). Nutritious bread toasted can also provide a tasty, crunchy treat with grains.

What should a chicken not eat?

There are a variety of foods a chicken shouldn’t eat. To play it safe, avoid any foods you’re unsure of. While this may not be a complete list, here are some of the most common foods and drinks that you should avoid giving your chickens.

• Avocados
• Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and grapefruit
• Coffee and tea
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Salt
• Green potatoes
• Green tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Uncooked dried beans
• Onions
• Tobacco
• Nuts with a shell
• Raw nuts
• Old peanuts that may be damp
• Mango peels
• Rhubarb leaves
• Fruit seeds or pits
• Processed human food
• Iceberg lettuce (not toxic, but can cause diarrhea)

Additionally, any foods that appear to be moldy should not be given to chickens. Keep in mind that there may be other foods not on this list that a chicken may not react well to.

How should I store food for chickens?

It’s important to store your chickens’ food properly to ensure it doesn’t grow mold or attract unwanted creatures. Chicken feed should be kept in a cool, dry space. If it’s kept in a container, clean the container out between every few refills.

Final Thoughts

Chickens should eat a balanced diet of protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, and water. To make things easy, make sure you provide a high-quality chicken feed and fresh water daily. And, of course, healthy treats are always appreciated!

Are you a first-time chicken owner? If so, read about fun names for chickens & tips for first-time chicken owners.