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Nothing says sunshine, warm weather, and relaxation like sitting back and enjoying some ripe, fresh, delicious tropical fruit. As you take another juicy bite from your second mango of the day you notice your chickens starting to gather around like Raptors in Jurassic Park. Is it safe to toss your mango and run? Can chickens eat mango or will this all turn out poorly?
Find out what happens by scrolling down just a little bit!
Can Chickens Eat Mango?
Yes, chickens can eat mango! Mangos provide lots of nutrients. They can eat the entire mango, flesh and skin.
No need to worry that your chickens will get sick or poisoned it you toss your fruity snack at them in an attempt to escape with your life. In fact, in moderate amounts, mangos are a good and healthy snack for chickens. So, maybe you should have just run instead of giving those clever girls (and roos) more fuel.
In all seriousness though, mangoes are packed with all sorts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidents, and other nutrients that are very good for your chickens' overall health and appearance.
Can chickens eat mango skin or mango peels?
Yes, chickens can eat mango skins or peels. They are full of fiber and other vitamins and minerals. However, they may not be as excited for the peels as the rich, juicy flesh.
Can Chickens eat mango pits or mango seeds?
No, chickens cannot eat mango pits or seeds. The pits of a mango are large and very hard.
Can chickens eat mango leaves?
Chickens cannot eat mango leaves. Much like how chickens can eat onions, but only certain parts or how chickens can eat rhubarb stalks, but must avoid their leaves due to poisonous oxalic acid.
They should not eat mango leaves because they contain urushiol, which is a chemical shared by another avoidable plant, poison ivy. You don't want your feathered friends getting that in their mouths, do you?
Can chickens eat unripe mango?
No, chickens should not eat unripe mango. While it is not particularly dangerous, unripe mangos are hard. It is better to only feed ripe, clean, unspoiled fruits.
Is it healthy for chickens to eat mangos?
Yes, it is very healthy for chickens to mangos as long as they are not eating too much in one sitting. The high sugar content in the fruit can be harmful if not monitored. But, unless you have a mango tree growing near your coop, you should be able to monitor how much they eat just fine.
Need some help keeping your chickens health and care taken care of? Check out the Organized Chicken Keeper for an easy to follow system.
What are the nutritional benefits of mangoes for chickens?
A single serving of mango (around ¾ cup) has 70 calories and no fat or cholesterol. Here is the nutritional analysis, according to Mango.org.
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 70 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 g |
| Sodium | 0 g |
| Total Carobohydrate | 19 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Total Sugars | 17 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Calcium | 14 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 208 mg |
| Vitamin A | 67 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 45 mg |
| Vitamin E | 1.11 mg |
| Vitamin K | 5.2 mcg |
| Vitamin B6 | .147 mg |
| Folate | 53 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 17 mg |
| Magnesium | 12 mg |
| Copper | .137 mg |
| Manganese | 0.078 mg |
| Selenium | .7 mcg |
How do these nutrients help?
For all of us, not just chickens, a healthy balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients is what keeps us going. Here are some of the benefits that chickens get just from the nutrients found in mangos.
- Vitamin A: eye, skin, respiratory, and digestive health
- Vitamin B6: healthy blood vessels, eye/vision health, nervous system , immune system
- Calcium: bones and egg shell strength
- Vitamin C: joint, cellular, and immune health; collagen synthesis
- Vitamin E: immune system support, cell regeneration
- Folate (B Vitamin): folate deficiency; helps blood formation; healthy feathers & size
- Vitamin K: blood clotting, bone metabolism
- Magnesium: bone strength and development, cellular metabolism, heart health, muscle function,
- Potassium: temperature control; hydration & electrolyte regulation, metabolism; heart health/heart disease preventative
How do you feed chickens mango?
First off all, pick out a fresh and ripe mango. You can tell it's fresh by how soft it is and it's bright yellow color. When it's green and unripe it's still safe but too bitter and hard for your chickens to eat it.
Next, wash the outside skin very well. You want to remove any dirt, pests, or potential residue from pesticides off before your chickens eat it. If you want to be extra safe, only get your mangos from a source that is pesticide free (if an option, of course).
Once it's good and clean just cut it up, into halves, quarters, or cubes, and serve it to your birds. They love just about every part of the mango and, fortunately, it's all safe for them to eat; fruit, skins, seeds or pits (although the seeds are probably too hard and can technically be a choking hazard).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can chicks eat mango?
Baby chickens, or chicks, should not eat mango. If they get a tiny bit, they will likely be okay, but in general, it is far to sweet and sugary for them to handle.
Q2. How many mangoes can I feed my chickens?
If you ask your chickens how many mangos you should feed them they will likely just cluck at you because chickens don't speak human languages. But, if they did they would probably say give them all the mangos *bwawk*.
The truth is, and this applies to any kind of extra treat, mangos should not exceed more than 10% of their daily feed. This is known as the 90/10 rule and means that 90% of what they eat in a day should be a good and healthy, well balanced, chicken feed.
The same rule applies if you want to know how often to feed your chickens mangos. As long as they are not eating more than 10% of their daily intake in mangos, they should be okay.
Q4. Is it true that eating mangoes can change my chickens' behavior?
Eating mangos, and other fruits high in sugar, can change your chickens personality and behavior. Buuuuut, just for a short period of time until the sugar rush burns out.
Think about when your little brother (or sister, cousin, friend, you) ate an entire bucket of Halloween candy and how they behaved. They (you?) probably weren't actually posessed by evil speed demons, but it sure may have seemed that way for a while.
If you need more help with taking care of your chickens, check out The Organized Chicken Keeper for a complete system for managing their health through keeping their supplies stocked and coop clean.
