Chickens tend to try eating everything in their sight. They will ruin flowers while pecking at the stems, they will devour lettuce and veggie gardens, and they will even eat fresh strawberries that might be growing in your yard. It is safe to say that chickens can eat many different types of foods, including meats.On the other hand, there are many types of food that they should not eat, such as avocadoes and undercooked beans. So, you may be wondering if chickens can eat grapes. The answer is that yes, chickens can eat grapes. In fact, grapes should be a part of a chicken’s overall diet, albeit in small quantities. Read on to learn more about feeding grapes to your chickens.
Why Grapes Are Healthy for Chickens
Grapes are delicious to chickens, likely due to their sweetness and juiciness. You may see chickens fighting over a bunch of grapes that are offered to them because the tasty fruit is so irresistible. What’s great about grapes is that they are not only a favorite treat of chickens but also extremely healthy snacks. Grapes are full of vitamins and minerals that chickens need to maintain strong, healthy bodies and minds.
They are also filled with antioxidants, which help chickens fight diseases as time goes on. When fed in moderation, they can help stave off health problems like diabetes because they are low in calories and will not bulk your chicken down, making them feel lethargic. Grapes offer the energy that chickens need to stay active and healthy.
Why Raisins Are Not as Healthy as Fresh Grapes
While raisins are technically dried grapes, they are not nearly as healthy for chickens as fresh grapes. Therefore, there is no reason to feed raisins to chickens even if as an occasional snack. Raisins have high concentrations of sugars, which can be harmful to chickens by raising their blood sugar levels and even causing problems like diabetes. Raisins are also high in calories compared to fresh grapes.
Just a few raisins a day could make your chicken gain weight and make it harder for them to get around. An occasional raisin or two will not hurt a chicken, but the snack will not offer many benefits either. So, it is best not to even introduce them to your chickens in the first place. If you do decide to offer a raisin to your chickens, make sure that it is an occasional treat, no more than once or twice a month.
What to Be Aware of Before Feeding Grapes to Your Chickens
While grapes are an excellent snack and food supplement choice for chickens, there are a few things to be aware of before you start feeding them to your own chickens. First, chickens do not have teeth and tend to gobble grapes down vigorously. Feeding whole grapes to a chicken could result in choking and even death. Therefore, it is important to cut grapes in half or even quarters before giving them to your chickens.
Another thing to think about is where the grapes come from. Grapes may harbor up to 56 different pesticide residues on their skins. Therefore, it is extremely important to thoroughly wash any grapes that you want to feed your chickens.
Final Thoughts
Chickens love fresh grapes and grapes are good for them. So, why not offer a few to your chickens on a hot summer day? Just remember to cut them up or blend them for your chickens (especially the babies) before feeding time. Grapes should never be the main staple of your chicken’s diets, though, so even if you farm grapes and have an abundance of them, you should seek out other stuff to feed your chickens, like grains, grasses, a variety of vegetables, and sometimes mealworms and other meat proteins.