Author: Tanner Barnsley
Tanner Barnsley is the pen name on Chicken Rise's backyard chicken guides: what is safe to feed a flock, breeds, coops and chicks. Chicken Rise is written by a small team under pen names; we are not vets, and if a bird is unwell, call an avian vet.
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Can Chickens Eat Rabbit Alfalfa Pellets? A Treat, Not a Feed
Yes, as a small treat, but never as feed. Rabbit pellets have an eighth to a third of a hen’s calcium, and…
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Can Chickens Eat Rabbit Food? Pellets, Mix, Hay and Greens, Sorted
Yes, but only as a small treat and never in place of feed. Rabbit food is short on calcium and heavy on…
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Can Chickens Eat Tofu? Yes, a Little Plain Tofu Is Fine
Yes, a little plain tofu is fine, a scant tablespoon a hen at most. Skip the fermented, salty and fried kinds, and…
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Can Chickens Eat Crab Apples? Yes, Seeds Out and Only From a Tree You Know
Yes, chickens can eat crab apples with the seeds cut out. Keep leaves, moldy windfalls and fruit from any tree you can’t…
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Can Chickens Eat Gourds? Squash Yes, Decorative Gourds No
Squash and pumpkin you’d eat are a fine small treat for hens. Decorative gourds and anything bitter stay out. How to check,…
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Can Chickens Eat Goldenrod? I’d Say Yes, If You’re Sure of the Plant
Yes, I’d let your hens nibble Canada goldenrod as a fall treat, as long as you’re sure that’s what it is, the…
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Can Chickens Eat Minnows? Only Cooked, and Only Now and Then
Only cooked, and only now and then. A raw minnow can carry thiaminase, which breaks down vitamin B1, and a home freezer…
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Can Chickens Eat Loofah Seeds? Why I Keep Them Out of the Run
Loofah seeds are bitter, and broilers fed them ate less and grew less. Young green loofah is another story, if it isn’t…
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Can Chickens Eat Durian? A Taste of Flesh, Never the Seed
A taste of ripe durian flesh is fine for your hen, but never the raw seed or the spiky husk. Here’s why,…
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Can Chickens Eat Locusts? Yes, if Nobody Sprayed Them
Yes, a healthy adult hen can eat a locust as a treat, as long as nobody sprayed or baited it. Five to…
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Can Chickens Eat Elderberries? Ripe Ones, Yes, but Never the Stems
Ripe elderberries are a fine small treat, but the stems and leaves aren’t, and red elderberry is out. How much a hen…
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Can Chickens Eat Purslane? Yes, Just Make Sure It Isn’t Spurge
Chickens can eat purslane as a treat. It’s mostly water and high in oxalate, so a handful beats a bucket. Here’s how…
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Can Chickens Eat Long Grain Brown Rice? Yes, About a Spoonful
Plain brown rice is a fine treat for hens, dry or cooked. How much per hen, when to add grit, and why…
